Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) aim to bring together specialist adoption professionals from local areas to provide expertise and support at every stage of the adoption process. This includes the arrangement and monitoring of adoption support and therapies for parents and/or children. Support such as this is often arranged via external provider organisations, the voluntary sector and private therapists. Consequently, Adoption England asked IPC to develop bespoke commissioning training for RAA professionals based on the IPC commissioning cycle, outlining key activities that a practitioner would be involved in during each stage of the cycle.
A tailored version of our principles of commissioning and care purchasing and brokerage certificates were adapted, including the creation of a unique Adoption Support Cycle, focusing on the key activities undertaken to arrange adoption support services on an individual level, using the overarching activities of Assess, Plan, Intervene and Review.
A pilot training programme was delivered to adoption support practitioners, social workers, team leaders and commissioning officers.
We received the following feedback:
“I wish this training could have been available years ago and was made available to senior managers/leaders as collaborative working with commissioning is absolutely essential”.
“Thinking around all elements of the cycle, discussing best practice areas of improvement, because the course is so specific for our role/teams it meant we could think deeper and realistically, share practice and information. Really helpful”.
“I think there is SUCH a huge need for a regular space like this just for RAA’s to talk like this. It’s been absolutely invaluable to me. Helps confirm things that was niggling me and wasn’t sure if I was right to feel worried. Confirmed great practice. I’ve learned from colleagues. Just a space to say it’s hard. We are often on our own in Adoption Support disconnected from the wider system who don’t understand us and this space is therefore vital.”
After the success of the pilot programme, we are now working with Adoption England to develop a longer-term distance programme for all practitioners across England responsible for arranging and managing adoption support services. This will include a variety of learning methods including self-directed reading, pre-recorded presentations and assessments of learning, complemented by live, interactive sessions and networking opportunities delving into specific topics of interest for this audience.
If you are interested in working with IPC to develop bespoke and tailored commissioning training programmes for officers working in public services, please contact Amy Harmsworth, IPC Senior Consultant.
