IPC Commissioning Alumni Network

Commissioning Alumni Network

In 2022, IPC celebrated 20 years of successfully delivering commissioning courses to over 2,000 people from social care and health organisations across the UK. To build on this landmark achievement we created the IPC Alumni Network.

It provides an opportunity to grow networks and connect with fellow alumni from across the UK. Network members can attend exclusive workshops and, via the forum, our alumni are discussing the latest topics and trends and sharing professional skills and ideas with like-minded peers.

We invite all known commissioning course alumni to join the network. If you do not receive an email, and you believe you are an alumni, please email us at ipc-alumni@brookes.ac.uk and we will contact you.

Commissioning Alumni Forum

We have created an exclusive online forum for alumni. This members-only forum enables our alumni to connect, discuss and share information across the country.

The forum topic threads cover areas such as:

• Integrated or collaborative commissioning;
• Adult commissioning;
• Children’s commissioning;
• National legislation and research;
• Contract management and monitoring;
• General procurement

All materials from our Alumni Conference and 2023 webinar programme are posted on the forum.

2023 Commissioning Alumni workshop series

We are delivering a series of Workshops (listed on the Events page). Each virtual workshop, led by one of our IPC consultants and guest speakers, will focus on a particular commissioning topic or issue.

Upcoming events in 2023

Embedding Co-Production in Adult Social Care

This webinar will focus on the findings and key messages of the ADASS South East Region's Co-Production Guide, which considers how genuine co-production approaches can be embedded in adult social care practice and commissioning.

The webinar will include guest speakers sharing examples of good practice and offer attendees the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas on how to work in equal partnership with people with lived experiences in their local areas.

Details of this webinar are to be confirmed and will be sent directly to Alumni members when possible.

Events already hosted in 2023 include:

1. Key enablers and principles for strategic and collaborative commissioning and planning - health and care - 14th March 2023

This event is for IPC Academic Partners and alumni of the Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care. The Workshop covers the background and principles of the Local Government Association collaborative commissioning guide and case studies.

2. Sharing learning from the Thriving Babies: Confident Parents Programme – 28^th March 2023

Sharing learning from the Thriving Babies: Confident Parents Programme – taking an early intervention approach to support families. This event is for Alumni of the IPC Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care.

3. 15 Years of describing, measuring, and monitoring outcomes in social care – have we got it right yet? 29th June 2023

This complimentary and exclusive event is offered to the alumni of the IPC Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care. Hear about some of our recent outcome focused work, and from colleagues about how they are embedding an outcome focused approach into their reviews of services, commissioning and performance management activities.

4. New directions in diagnostic pathways for adults and children with learning disabilities - 4th July 2023

This webinar is free to IPC Academic Partners and to alumni of the IPC Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care who commission learning disability services for children and/or adults and will provide the opportunity to hear about the current policy context and literature and participate in group discussions about whether there is a need for a formal diagnostic pathway.

5. Prioritisation in Commissioning - 11th July 2023

This complimentary and exclusive event is offered to the alumni of the IPC Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care. This webinar will provide opportunities to discuss how pressures on the health and care system are currently impacting our commissioning practice.

More new events to be announced shortly for the Autumn.

2022 Alumni Workshops feedback

Our first workshop was held in January 2022 and was aimed at adult commissioning course alumni on the topic: Setting a Fair Price for Social Care Services and the feedback was excellent.

Our second workshop was delivered in April 2022 and was led by Chris Watson see his latest publication on ‘Personalising Commissioning – an Overview of Individual Service Funds’. One commissioner said, “I really liked the mix of presentations from both commissioner and provider viewpoints and the interaction and opportunity for discussion was great.” More insights from the workshop can be viewed on our website here.

We then hosted the workshop entitled “Show me the way to go home”, lessons and next steps for effective Discharge to Assess and Home First systems. Philip Provenzano and Melanie Henwood from IPC shared some of the good practice and lessons learnt by systems across England by drawing on the findings from a number of recent projects reviewing D2A arrangements as highlighted in their recent briefing paper.

Our final autumn workshop was held 8th November 2022 and the topic was'Modern Slavery' led by Agnes Turnpenny from IPC who has produced a number of reports on this sensitive topic area.

Alumni Commissioning Conference November 2022

IPC hosted the first Alumni Conference on 28^th November 2022 at Conference Aston Hotel Birmingham. The event was incredibly well attended by over 70 commissioning course alumni from all over the country.

Some of the feedback included:

“It was great to meet colleagues & hear about course developments”
“The breakout sessions were small & intimate and provided a real opportunity to learn through peer experience”
“It was interesting to hear about what commissioners are grappling with and how much we are prepared for the future”
“It was good to reach out to members outside of my immediate network, especially those who have really embraced coproduction”

Alumni sign up

We send network invites to all known alumni of the accredited IPC Certificate in Commissioning and Purchasing for Public Care, so please check your email. New workshops are posted in the events section of our website and on the Alumni Forum.

If you do not receive an email, and you believe you are an alumni, please email us at ipc-alumni@brookes.ac.uk and we will contact you.