Micro Enterprises and
Putting People First in
Wokingham
James Burgess
Commissioning and Development Manager
Mike Stillman
PPF Commissioning Project Officer
Why Micro Enterprises?
• Market Development a key objective of
Wokingham’s PPF transformation Project
• Options
Existing providers offering new services
New providers offering the same kinds of
service
New providers offering new types of service
Existing Providers
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Mostly medium and large scale
Mostly fairly conservative
Block contracts for traditional services
Many self funders
Focused on “critical needs”
New Providers
• Need more variety but not easy for new
providers to set up.
• Small scale providers could be way
forward as they can be flexible and
innovative
• NAAPS micro enterprises project offered
support to investigate this as an
achievable and low risk way forward.
How did we do it?
• Met with Angela Catley – NAAPS Head of
Projects who is providing consultancy support
• Set up Micro Enterprises mini-project
• Obtained staff resource to manage the project
• Set aside £15,000 for start up grants
• Visited NAAPS pilot site in Oldham
• Held awareness events for stakeholders and
potential providers
• Set target of 5 new providers by April 2010
What has worked?
• Involvement of NAAPS
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Expertise and support.
Learning from their pilots.
Opportunity to meet micro-providers in Oldham
Credibility of project – one of first outside pilots
• Grants
• Key to generating interest.
• Gave a high profile to the project as a way to
support to local businesses during down turn.
• Real impact on market place
Challenges
• Lots of effort required to publicise project.
• Most interest from newly set up enterprises
rather than from potential providers.
• Time and expertise needed to help businesses
develop.
• Council processes in relation to commissioning
and contracting not friendly for small businesses.
• Area of well paid high employment. Means fewer
risk takers, and income expectations are high.
Who have we helped?
• Three low level home care providers
• A new footcare service
In the pipeline
• A service supporting older asian women
• A further low level domestic support
service
What else have we done?
• Unit costing to allow people with personal budgets
to get accurate costs of in house services.
• Contracts for 2 external brokerage providers.
• Developing budget management options –
Individual Service Funds and Managed Service
Funds.
• Supporting People Personal Budget pilot.
• Signposting service.
What else are we working on?
• User guide to budget management options
and safe commissioning.
• Accreditation of brokers.
• Exploration of possible “prevention
brokerage” service.
Contacts
James Burgess
Commissioning and Development Manager
james.burgess@wokingham.gov.uk
Tel: 0118 974 6235
Mike Stillman
PPF Commissioning Project Officer
mike.stillman@wokingham.gov.uk
Tel: 0118 908 8225