Provision of MCCH Report Delayed Again & FOIA Request for Viability Report
From Jill Goble
Subject Re: Richmond Fellowship and MCCH Ltd Contracts
Dear Dianne Pullin and Diane Woods
Thankyou for your mail of the 7/2/07 below and the response from Diane Woods I received also below.
It is now over the 2 weeks that I am told in the response that the MCCH report would be made available to me. Could you please send the report to me immediately or if it is still unavailable tell me why there is a further delay and exactly when I can receive the report?
In the response below Diane Wood states:
"The option to keep the Old Moat as an NHS service and to be managed and run by service users has been considered. Options that have been considered for the services are: Social Enterprise, Social Firm, Closure, Remain with Surrey and Borders Partnership, transfer to Voluntary Sector. The viability report shows that the deficit that the service currently works with and is projected for the next 3 years is too high a risk for the service to take off as a social enterprise or firm status and so is not a viable option."
Could you please give me details of the 'viability report' mentioned above. Is it in the public domain? Can I have a copy of this viability report if necessary as a Freedom of Information request.?
I have other comments to make on this response but would prefer to make these once I have seen the MCCH report so could you please send it urgently.
Regards
Jill Goble
http://justice4sabtworkers.blogspot.com/
Dear Ms Goble
RE: Freedom of Information Act Request
I am responding following your e-mail of the 25th January where you are concerned that you have not received a response to your FOI request in October. There has obviously been some confusion as I forwarded by post to your address in Brighton the RFET contract and the Public Consultation and Outcome document that was done regarding all of these services that address the majority of the questions. I reattach these for your information and have broken down your questions and answered them below.
With regards to your request for the MCCH viability report on the Old Moat. There has been further information that needed to be sought in order for this report to be completed. The Commissioning Group met and received a draft report from MCCH this week and this will be available in 1-2 weeks following the inclusion of comments received from this meeting. I will forward this to you at that point.
The answers to the further questions you have raised are:
What Opportunities Will There Be for Further Consultation?
Public consultation took place last year. Local targeted consultation will take place with the service and the current service users on the outcome of the viability report and the recommendation for the Old Moat put forward from the Commissioning Group.
Will It Be Possible to Make Representation Concerning Alternative Options for Old Moat, &, Will the Option to Keep the Old Moat as an NHS service and managed and run by service users be considered?
This work has had, and remains to have local service user, staff, current provider and health and social care commissioning representation throughout the work. The option to keep the Old Moat as an NHS service and to be managed and run by service users has been considered. Options that have been considered for the services are: Social Enterprise, Social Firm, Closure, Remain with Surrey and Borders Partnership, transfer to Voluntary Sector. The viability report shows that the deficit that the service currently works with and is projected for the next 3 years is too high a risk for the service to take off as a social enterprise or firm status and so is not a viable option. It was agreed at the beginning of the work that with the externalisation of the services that Surrey and Borders Partnership would no longer have the expertise and appropriate infrastructure to support these services in the manner that they require to modernise and develop and so remaining with them in the medium to long term is not a viable option. This leaves 2 options; closure or transfer to voluntary sector. Throughout this work it has been an aim to avoid closure for services that were reviewed in line with national guidelines as appropriate to develop. The Old Moat is in line with this guidance and so we would not, where possible, wish to move to closure. This leaves the transfer to voluntary sector as the preferred option. However the service has been running with a deficit and more work was required to source further funding support and opportunities to reduce this gap and demonstrate viability. This is what has been taking place through 2006. There has been identification of new sources for funding and the PCT are able to put in a level of extra funding for a period of three years. The new sources of funding have not been totally secured as yet and so final financial calculations will take place as soon as this has been completed. If this shows to be successful and the consultation with the service and it's service users approve the recommendation then the preferred option of transfer to the voluntary sector will be taken forward.
What Group of Staff Will Be Responsible For Awarding the Contract
Surrey PCT Mental Health Commissioning will be the organisation and staff responsible for awarding the contract.
Are the WSOG Reports Made Public
These are minutes of the meeting not reports and do not get posted onto a public website
How is the Contract with RFET going To Be Monitored
There are regular monitoring meetings against the service specifications and outcomes. The frequency of these, the terms and manner in which they occur, and what is monitored is described within the contract that is attached. This is the template contract that the PCT use for all of the supported employment, social firm and community connections contracts in eastern Surrey.
Funding Concern for RFET
RFET funding for other services outside of Surrey are not connected to Surrey PCT funding. Surrey PCT funding is governed by the specific contract between Surrey PCT and RFET as attached.
Surrey County Council
In Surrey there has been aligned commissioning between health and social care in mental health. This means that we work to joint aims and approach strategic work and service development together. The work and day service review was jointly commissioned and the organisations are still pursuing a Section 31 for the commissioning budgets for these services.
Yours sincerely
Diane Woods
Director of Commissioning
Mental Health and Learning Disability
Labels: Surrey PCT
posted by simply human @ 8:11 am
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Just got this reply through:
Jill
The delay has been due to half term week affecting availability of people for the sign off. It will be with you early next week.
Regards
Dianne
Dianne Pullin
PA to Diane Woods
Attitudes MUST change warns article in Community Care:
Date15 February 2007:
Attitudes must change to achieve equality warns charity
A national charity has today welcomed the launch of the "Disability Agenda" but warned equality for people with learning difficulties can only be achieved by changing society's attitudes.
The Disability Rights Commission yesterday launched the Disability Agenda which sets out the core themes on which the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights should focus.
Chiefs said the document offers a fresh approach both to existing and new challenges expected over the next ten years, calling for more family-centred policies to create more opportunities and resilience to poverty and greater investment in public services to deliver what people need.
Researchers have set out ten public policy challenges including ending poverty, widening employment opportunities and boosting equality in all aspects of life.
The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities today welcomed the Disability Agenda but said that if people with learning disabilities are going to participate fully as equal citizens, society needs to change its attitude towards all disabled people.
Alison Giraud-Saunders, co-director of the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, said: "The Disability Rights Commission makes a number of encouraging and well thought out recommendations that if implemented, will positively change the lives of people with learning disabilities - many of whom lead restricted lives.
"There are a number of reasons for this, including that they do not have equal access to mainstream health services or employment opportunities.
"People with learning disabilities want to work but to make this happen, the Government needs to ensure employment schemes and state benefit departments are working together.
"In tandem with this, employers and small business advisory services need advice so that it becomes the norm for people with learning disabilities to be employed in workplaces across the country or run their own businesses.
"We have known for many years people with learning disabilities experience poor physical health and shorter life expectancy yet annual health checks are still not carried out.
"People with learning disabilities, especially the increasing number of people with high support needs, must have equal rights to good healthcare."
The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities warned councils across the country are tightening their eligibility criteria and fewer people with learning disabilities will get help from statutory services as a result.
Ms Giraud-Saunders added: "Failure to increase funding means that people with learning disabilities will only receive the minimum support required to meet their basic physical needs.
"In the 21st Century it is not good enough that budget cuts in councils and the NHS are damaging the fight for equality for people with learning disabilities."
In launching the new agenda, the chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, Sir Bert Massie, said: "The positive developments of the last decade have undoubtedly helped to create a more open road for disabled people to do the things they want to in life.
"But the unhappy irony is that, at the same time, the public services, resources and support many need to take up these new opportunities have either not materialised or have gone into decline because of rationing.
"Many disabled people have been invited to look to the stars, only to find the ground opening beneath them.
"It is clear, that without action now, the challenges of the coming years will create new patterns of inequality and disadvantage that Britain can ill-afford."
The Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) has also welcomed the Disability Agenda.
Chief executive of the charity, Susan Scott-Parker, said: "Historically the system has been designed more to 'push' disabled people at the world of work generally, rather than to help employers 'pull' disabled applicants towards particular jobs.
"In order for the Government to achieve its aim of increasing the number of disabled people in work and out of poverty, it must also develop an employer engagement strategy which facilitates the process employers, intermediaries and disabled people go through, as people move into work."
The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities promotes the rights, quality of life and opportunities of people with learning disabilities and their families. For more information visit www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
The Employers' Forum on Disability is the world's leading employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects business. Funded and managed by 400 members, it aims to make it easier to recruit and retain disabled employees and to serve disabled customers. To learn more visit www.efd.org.uk
Source: Press Association, 15/02/2006
Country: United Kingdom
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Source: Press Association, 15/02/2006
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Well i havent been checking this site as often as i should, and was amazed to hear about Fiona and hubby giving contrats to each other, I think it all proves that there is alot of unhanded playing going on here, and people should be made aware of this. The Iron lady made a appearence at the YMCA in guildford on thurs night, I wasnt there sadly, i couldnt get my sack of rocks on the train but Rosemary from Surrey was there, maybe Rosemary could update?
Keep it going people!
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