ACTIVITY ONE: ASSESS

Activity One comprises the first three stages of the commissioning process. Activity One focuses on completing an assessment of need. This period of activity takes place during April – June.

The DH and DfES Guidance provides guidance against each of these stages.

Stage 1: Look at outcomes: ‘Consider the current pattern and recent trends of outcomes for children and young people in their area against national and relevant local comparators’

Stage 2: Focus on particular groups: ‘Look within the overall picture at outcomes for specific children, young people, and parents (eg disabled, special educational needs, looked after children, sick children or those with mental health difficulties) as they require a differentiated approach to service provision or additional support. Consider the current pattern and recent trends of outcomes for children and young people in their area against national and relevant local comparators’

Stage 3: Needs analysis: ‘Use all this data and the views of the children, young people and their families, local communities and front line staff to develop an overall, integrated needs assessment’

What is involved in this activity?

1. Identify the outcomes that you want to work towards and improve

2. Identify the data that contributes towards those outcomes. Collect, monitor and analyse data

Identify

• Ask partners – statutory, voluntary and community - what information they have that can contribute. This may relate to their customers use of the service, as well as compliments and complaints
• Identify relevant performance indicators
• Use data that is easily accessible and available nationally eg. Office for National Statistics

Collect and monitor

• Collect data so that it can be broken down by age, ethnicity, gender, religion, geography
• You may want to collect data so that it can be broken down further by sexual orientation, learning difficulty, disability, looked after status, risk of criminality

Analyse

• Analyse data using the age model adopted by the Children’s Trust [0-7, 8-12, 13+]
• Analyse the data to determine whether there are any specific vulnerable groups
• Compare data with other Children’s Trusts and statistical neighbours
• Use the data to identify trends and historical patterns, current needs and forecast future needs

3. Ask the views of children, young people and families

• Find out what service users and the general public think their needs are and what types of services they would like to access – in order to improve outcomes
• Use existing networks to enable participation
• Consider whether a Communications Strategy/Consultation Strategy would assist you

4. Ask the views of professionals and practitioners

• Ask the experts – those people working directly with children, young people and families
• Use practitioner networks to gain advice and participation

5. Review national guidance, research and best practice

• To ensure you are aware of local and national policy and how this will impact on your assessment of need

6. Complete your analysis

• Relate your analysis to outcomes
• Consider all of the data you have identified, collected, monitored and analysed
• Consider the views of children, young people and families
• Consider the review of national guidance, research and best practice
• Consider your evaluation of current service providers and how well they have impacted on improving outcomes [Stage 9]
• Identify any areas that need further, more in-depth analysis

7. Inform others about your analysis

Advise the Children’s Trust on your assessment of need

Convey key messages to your customers – in an easy to understand way - about the outcomes of your assessment of need

What are the outcomes of this activity?

• Better understanding of specific and overarching needs in Sunderland
• Better understanding of the use of services – who is using them and when
• Understanding of the impact of national and local policy issues
• Better understanding of the needs that are being met and those that are not
• Identification of vulnerable groups in Sunderland ie. CLA, BME
• Better understanding of how existing services have improved outcomes for ALL children, young people and families
• The holistic needs assessment is owned by ALL children, young people and families, and ALL professionals and practitioners

What tools and resources are there to support you?

• Coordinating and completing an assessment of need – Needs analysis toolkit] - This toolkit will give you an overview of what you should think about when you are preparing a needs assessment
• Consultation Guidance
• Participation and engagement of children, young people and families Guidance
• Communications Guidance
• Turning the Curve ( 100kb) - This is a tool that can be used, as part of group discussion, to help you analyse performance and improve outcomes
• Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
• Quality Assurance Framework
• Area profile – North, South, East, West, Washington & Coalfields – Local Area Plans - for North, South, East, West, Washington and the Coalfields - are being developed by the Council, setting out a picture of the local area, with some basic facts, figures and statistics

Who can support you to complete this activity?
You should identify individuals from within your organisation that can support you to complete tasks within this activity.

If you want to speak with someone about anything on this page please contact the Commissioning Team on 0191 566 1847 or email: sct@sunderland.gov.uk