VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL SUPPORTING
PEOPLE TEAM
REVIEW AND MONITORING PROCESS
SHELTERED ACCOMMODATION AND/OR ALARM
SERVICES
1. OVERVIEW and PERFORMANACE INDICATORS
This document explains the monitoring and review process, which will be undertaken
by the Supporting People Team between April 2003 and March 2006.
It also gives guidance on the information and data required in order to carry out the
monitoring and review process.
Services Reviews will be carried out in three Phases –
Phase 1 – Desktop Review
Phase 2 – On Site Review
Phase 3 – Reporting Process
In addition to Service Reviews all service providers are required to produce 6 monthly
reports for the following two periods:
April-September – to be submitted by the deadline date of 31st October
October – March – to be submitted by the deadline of 30th April
The reports are to based on the following standard performance indicators set by
the Supporting People Team:
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Supporting People Standard Seven - Performance Indicators Explained
a. Throughput
(i)
(ii)
The number bed spaces in the project
The number of service users supported for the period
b. Utilisation
The number of days that the accommodation/scheme was not occupied as a
percentage of the total available.
c. Withdrawal from the Service
The number of planned and unplanned withdrawals for the period and the reasons
d. Reasons for Withdrawals
e. Staffing Levels
The number of hours worked as a percentage of the number of hours included in the
Agreement Schedule 2.
f. Fair Access
A breakdown of referrals and acceptances into the project(s) broken down by
ethnicity.
g. Voids
The number of units/bed spaces empty on the last day of the assessment period (i.e.
either 30th September or 31st March) and the dates that they became void
h. Complaints
A breakdown of the number of complaints and the percentage that are resolved at
each stage of the complaints process.
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2. PHASE 1 – DESK TOP REVIEW
The purpose of the Desk Top Audit is to gather information about the services
provided, in order to set the context and to get a picture of the service delivery and
identify issues to be considered at the on site review.
The form is intended to gather information and identify issues to be considered in
further detail at the Phase 2 On Site Review. Information about the projects to be
reviewed and any accompanying paperwork will be sent out during the month stated
in the contract (schedule 1).
All service providers are required to undertake their own service reviews (audits) and
include these with the information requested in the Desk Top Audit. Therefore, those
providers who do not have review (audit) systems in place will need to develop their
own internal quality assurance systems, which cover the Support Provider Contract
and Performance Indicators set out in page 2.
A deadline of twenty eight days will be set for the information to be completed and
returned to the Supporting People Team Civic Offices, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.
CF63 4RU.
On receipt of this information, the service provider will be contacted to arrange a
mutually convenient date (within 8 weeks) for the commencement of the site visit.
Arrangements will also be made by the Team to speak to Service Users in order to
complete feedback questionnaires on the service.
Following the on site review the provider will receive a draft review report from the
Supporting People Team within eight weeks to enable feedback and comment to be
considered before the final report is produced.
Please note that the Supporting People Team will also carry out unannounced visits to
projects from time to time.
In addition to the information required on the desk top review form (see below)
all service providers are required to provide a copy of their Service/Organisations Aims and Objectives
Equal Opportunities Policy
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The Desk Top Audit Form
The form has three parts:
1. Column one identifies the practice option. Where these are listed they are
mandatory. After this there is an invitation to providers to state which other
option they have chosen to fulfil the standard. Please note that your service may
fulfil the standards in more ways other than those listed. If this is the case please
state the function in this column under ‘other’.
2. The second column asks you to summaries/outline what material or practices you
have in place to evidence the standard. This may include a range of activity. It
could be any of the following – these are suggestions and examples and are
therefore not exclusive:
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Information arising from internal quality assurance work.
Snapshot surveys by independent parties or the service provider.
Policies and procedures.
Proforma information – e.g. appraisal documents, individual support planning
document.
Recorded evidence of day to day activity.
Tenant participation/consultation outcomes – e.g. outcomes of exit questionnaires.
Evidence – notes/minutes from meetings with stakeholders.
Information from training courses attended.
Statistics and information presented to the Management Committee/Board of
Directors.
Mandatory practice options that relate to systems or processes must be
supported by written policies and procedures.
Some additional information will be required at the Phase 2 On Site Review – to
prove that the service provider can reinforce what they have said on the form and also
to answer any queries the Supporting People Team may have about information
supplied. Therefore service providers must be willing and able to back up the
information provided. Furthermore, the information provided at this stage will be
tested out in the reality checks at the Phase Two On Site Review.
3. The third column exists for Supporting People Team to comment and raise issues
on the completion of the form. This will involve them listing areas which they
will want to raise at the Phase 2 On Site Review – these may relate to clarifying
information, queries they may have, or where they want further evidence for an
activity, as well as wider questions and clarification as to why some practice
options are not pursued by a service provider.
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3.
PHASE TWO – ON SITE REVIEW
The On Site Review has four broad functions:
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To confirm the information provided from the Phase 1 – Desk top Review and
corroborate it
To gather evidence in relation to the funding the provider is receiving in respect of
the Contract and Schedules.
To hear directly from the service users, staff, landlords and stakeholders
about the quality of service being provided
To use the above three elements to assemble a range of evidence from different
sources which can confirm judgements and conclusions
The reality checking process of talking to tenants, staff, landlords and other
stakeholders is a crucial part of the process and will assist the Supporting People
Team to:
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Take a closer look at the information provided from the Phase 1 – Desk Top
Review, audit and confirm details.
Hear directly from service users and stakeholders about the quality of services
being provided.
Assemble a range of evidence from different sources which can support the same
conclusion
4. PHASE THREE – REPORTING PROCESS
The purpose of the reporting process is to present a firm judgement about whether and
how well the service provider is complying with the standards, practice options,
performance indicators and the Support Provider Contract.
The reporting process will also be used to highlight innovative and best practice and
present recommendations for service improvement.
The reporting process will be undertaken in three stages:
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Compilation of a draft report by the Supporting People Team
Interim challenge of the report by the Service Provider
Production of the final report by the Supporting People Team
If during the review or monitoring of the project, issues regarding the quality,
standards of service or any other problem are noted which the service provider needs
to address, these will be included in the final report.
The Service Provider must then take immediate steps in order to comply with the
report requirements within the deadline date/s provided, following which a second on
site visit may be made by the Supporting People Team.
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Where the process of assessing the continuing strategic relevance of existing
provision identifies an under supply or over supply of provision, this will need to be
fed through the Supporting People Planning Group in time for it to form part of the
annual discussion which leads to the formulation of the Supporting People
Operational Plan.
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