What is Integrated Commissioning?
Integrated commissioning refers to the collaboration of two or more agencies working together to commission services across the system for people with health, social care, and educational needs. This partnership enables public bodies to plan and implement health and social care services collectively.
Integrated commissioning involves:
Assessing the needs of local communities
Setting priorities
Investing in services through agreements with providers
The objective is to address current and future demands more efficiently regarding health and care services. Ultimately, integrated commissioning seeks to enhance health outcomes, prioritise preventative measures, and reduce health inequalities by ensuring services are coordinated and accessible for all. Integrated care systems (ICSs) form the backbone of England’s integrated commissioning framework and are established under the Health and Care Act 2022. Within these systems, integrated care boards (ICBs) replaced clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in the NHS. ICSs bring together a network of organisations to plan and fund health and care services jointly.
⇒ Read more about The Commissioning Cycle in Social Care.
Integrated commissioning follows four principles to support local health and care services and to support improving outcomes in people’s lives. By adopting an outcome-focused approach, local authorities can ensure that services are tailored to deliver meaningful impact, while critical self-assessment enables continuous refinement of strategies and practices. These principles empower local commissioners to work collaboratively, ensuring that integrated commissioning remains responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities for health and social care enhancement.
Principle One: Person-Centred Care
Care centred around the person ensures that support is tailored to each person’s unique needs. This approach requires collaborating closely with them, making necessary adaptations, and offering support to enable them to comprehend and make well-informed choices regarding their care and treatment options. The care must align with the person’s needs and preferences, ensuring it is suitable and responsive to their circumstances.
Person-centred care hinges on a collaborative partnership between the supported person and the provider, grounded in a balanced power-sharing. The care plan belongs to the person, who may share it with others only with their consent, allowing them to communicate their preferences regarding how their care and support should be provided. This method upholds a person’s autonomy to take informed risks and prioritises safe and respectful care delivery.
⇒ Read more about Person-Centred Care Planning.
Principle Two: Collaborative Partnership
Integrated commissioning through collaborative partnerships brings together stakeholders from various sectors—such as health services, social care, public health, and other public services—to jointly plan and make shared decisions about service provision. Effective integrated commissioning relies on close operational partnerships between commissioners and providers. These collaborations enable co-production approaches, allowing all stakeholders to collaborate and design service models that address local needs and opportunities.
Central to this process is engaging with people with lived experience, ensuring their voices are heard to gain insight into the challenges posed by siloed working and highlight the positive outcomes that integrated care can bring. Bringing together the right stakeholders and providing robust leadership can facilitate transformative change and advance the integrated commissioning process. Involving voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) can further bolster these collaborative relationships and improve the commissioning dynamic process.
⇒ Read more about Are People Involved in Their Care?
Principle Three: Evidence-Based Decision Making
The use of high-quality data is central to evidence-based decision-making. Integrated commissioning relies on accurate, timely, and relevant data to understand the population’s needs, the effectiveness of current services, and the potential impact of proposed changes. This data can come from various sources, including public health statistics, service usage patterns, and financial performance metrics.
Evidence-based decision-making includes gathering and utilising feedback from people who receive care and their communities. This ensures that services are responsive to their needs and experiences and that their voices are integral to the commissioning process. Engaging with supported people can provide valuable insights that quantitative data alone may not capture. Measuring outcomes is a key component of evidence-based decision-making. Integrated commissioning requires robust mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of services and interventions. This involves setting clear outcome indicators, monitoring progress, and using findings to inform continuous improvement.
Principle Four: Sustainability
Integrated commissioning for sustainability means designing and managing health and social care systems to address present needs while safeguarding the ability of future generations to fulfil theirs. This approach ensures that current services do not come at the expense of long-term well-being and resource availability.
Integrated care (IC) models have been shown to improve the efficiency of health systems, making them more cost-effective by optimising the coordination of services and resources. This efficiency is achieved by influencing various input and output variables, such as staffing levels, length of stay, and inpatient admissions, contributing to better resource allocation and reduced costs. While cost-effectiveness is important, maintaining high-quality care is equally crucial. Integrated commissioning aims to direct resources toward procedures that create value for people who require complex care, ensuring that economic gains do not come at the expense of care quality. This involves using evidence-based strategies to properly allocate resources, resulting in more competitive and sustainable institutional performance.
Importance of Integrated Commissioning
Integrated commissioning is a strategic approach that brings together local councils and ICBs to design comprehensive services that holistically address a person’s needs. This collaborative method often leads to a cohesive service specification that addresses all expected outcomes for care recipients across the health, education, and social care sectors. The integrated commissioning process is designed to streamline monitoring arrangements, evaluate services effectively, pool resources efficiently, and reduce duplication. It fosters a collective focus on mutually agreed priorities and ensures the most effective use of public funds.
Integrated commissioning offers numerous benefits to social care providers and people who draw on care.
⇒ Read more about What Case Commissioners Look for in Social Care Providers.
Leaf Complex Care is a Trusted Partner to Case Commissioners
Joint commissioning is a collaborative process that unites public bodies and other key stakeholders to plan and deliver services in partnership. The goal is to create more integrated care pathways and improved outcomes by building strong working relationships between NHS commissioners and providers. Leaf Complex Care can support this process by working closely with families, local authorities, health and social care professionals, and colleagues across the sector. Through joint commissioning, we ensure that care models are seamlessly coordinated and focused on providing person-centred, consistent care and continuity of support.
Our care teams understand the difficulties social workers and commissioners encounter, including limited funding and shortages in community capacity. To support them in overcoming these obstacles, we offer swift team mobilisation, integrated care solutions, and expanded training opportunities. This approach supports commissioners and promotes greater collaboration with providers, strengthening the overall provider market and enhancing the quality of service delivery.
Case Studies
Please take a moment to watch the incredible stories of Jacob and James, two boys who have transformed their lives through dedication and resilience.
Jacob, a young person with a brain condition associated with a learning disability, required specialised care and support. Leaf Complex Care collaborated with social services to provide the necessary support, actively pursuing a care plan that met Jacob’s needs.
James, who is autistic and lives with Sotos syndrome and epilepsy, transitioned from a challenging care setting to a more supportive environment. The integrated care approach involved family participation in designing a care plan tailored to James’ specific needs, highlighting the positive impact of integrated commissioning on his overall well-being.
Download Case Studies
Download the case studies and see how our person-centred care brings positive change and empowers individuals to be as independent as possible in the community and their own homes.
How can we support social workers and case commissioners in reducing NHS waiting lists? Discover here.
For any additional information, don’t hesitate and contact us today. Our offices are in Bristol, South East, Birmingham and Somerset.
