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Commissioning

 'Commissioning' is a way in which public bodies (such as local authorities and the NHS) ensure that services are delivered to their local populations. In many areas, and for many types of services, commissioning is replacing the process of awarding grants.

This page aims to keep you up-to-date with how commissioning works, and how this affects you locally in Kensington & Chelsea.

 Resources

• Council website - information about the borough council's procurement process and strategy
• KCSC policy pages - with explanations and policy briefings on commissioning from the 'third sector'
• Get ready for that local authority contract - website with information and guidance from the Finance Hub

Local council and NHS funding

Our two local statutory bodies - the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and the Kensington & Chelsea Primary Care Trust (KC-PCT) give funding to voluntary organisations to provide services to the local community. Traditionally this has been done through awarding grants to organisations, but over the last few years, this has been changing. These two authorities are moving towards commissioning as a method of funding social and community activity. However, for some types of services, small grants will still be available.

The commissioning process in brief …

• The council or PCT assesses the needs of the local population and decides the sorts of outcomes that are needed to improve quality of life, health, and well-being.
• The council or PCT invites organisations to submit proposals for projects to achieve those outcomes.
• Organisations submit tenders or applications outlining the services they want to provide to achieve those outcomes.
• The council or PCT decides which of those services it wishes to commission, and then provides a contract to the service provider for delivery of the service.
• Both parties are then engaged in a contract with specific obligations on both parties. If the provider fails to deliver, there may be financial penalties.

Commissioning from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Families and Children's Services

The evaluation report on the Council's Family and Children's Services Voluntary Sector Commissioning process is now available. Click here to read the report.  

See here the Key Decision reports from RBKC on the Family and Children's Services Commissioning process: 30th July Key Decision Report   30th July Key Decision Report Appendix   17 November Key Decision Report   17 November Key Decision Report Appendix

Health commissioning

• For details of the PCT's process for commissioning services from the voluntary sector, please see the KCSC health page.

 Commissioning training and employment services

• We are currently working wth providers of these services to develop a consortium to bid for mainstream contracts. Please see our adult learning page.