Due to economic and demand pressures, BCC were struggling to meet demand and internal output targets within the service, in turn creating a backlog of reviews across their Older People, Learning and Physical Disabilities teams. It was also identified that there were a large number of Service Users receiving Direct Payments for which a review had not been conducted within required timescales.

Flex360 was initially commissioned by BCC in November 2017 to conduct a pilot of 40 reviews and reassessments. Following its successful completion, BCC extend the contract to undertake a further 500 reviews. Based on successful completion Flex was commissioned to conduct a further 500 reviews with a particular focus on Service Users receiving Direct Payments.

Key Highlights:

• 1040 reviews conducted of clients in receipt of care and support packages
• 260 Service Users assessed as requiring a change in their package of care
• £950k of estimated savings identified through one off claw-backs, efficiencies in provision and re-modelling of care.
• Standardised templates for consistency developed in conjunction with BCC
• Provided a full Project Management Team; Quality Assurance Lead, 15 Social Workers and 3 onsite follow-on action implementers
• Best value principals and a needs-led approach applied to all Support Plans focused on increased independence
• On-site team provided to ensure adjustments to packages of care were implemented to reduce internal administrative workloads

Our Client required a Social Work partner to undertake a project within Adults Services to conduct Reviews and Reassessments of Service Users located in and out of Borough.

The Authority employ an existing team of Social Workers who deal with Reviews and Reassessments across a wide range of Service User groups. They were struggling to meet demand and output imposed on the service, in turn creating a backlog of reviews

Key Highlights:

• 330 reviews conducted of clients in receipt of Care and Support packages
• Over £300,000 of savings identified through adjusted Service User Care packages and re-modelling of care.
• 22% cost saving across reviews undertaken, significantly evident on more Complex Cases
• Provided a full Project Management Team; Quality Assurance Lead including 10 Social Workers
• Best Value Principals and a needs-led approach applied to all Support Plans focused on increased independence

Due to economic and demand pressures, HCC’s Adult Services were struggling to meet demand and internal output targets within the service, in turn creating a backlog of reviews and reassessments across their Older People, Learning and Physical Disabilities teams. It was also identified that there were a number of Service Users receiving Direct Payments for which a review had not been conducted within statutory timescales.

Flex360 was initially commissioned by HCC in August 2018 to conduct a pilot of 10 Reviews and Reassessments. Following its successful completion, HCC extend the agreement to undertake a further 100 reviews. Based on the successful completion of a formal tender process, Flex360 were subsequently awarded a two year contract to conduct 1000 Adult Social Care mixed economy Reviews and Reassessments, commencing in January 2019.

Key Highlights:

• 110 reviews conducted of clients in receipt of care and support packages
• 47 Service Users assessed as requiring a change in their Package of Care
• £350k of estimated savings identified through one off DP claw backs, efficiencies in provision and re-modelling of care.
• Providing full Project Management Team; Quality Assurance Lead and Social Workers

Leicestershire County Council were handling the finances of Service Users who lack the Mental Capacity to manage their own finances and have nobody else who can help. The Authority were acting on behalf of a number of Service Users who had either not had their Mental Capacity assessed or had it assessed a significant length of time ago. The Authority had identified 500 Service Users that required an assessment of their Mental Capacity to ascertain their ability to be able to handle their own finances.

In May 2018 Flex360 were successfully awarded via a competitive tender to provide a flexible and cost effective service to conduct 500 service user Mental Capacity Assessments within a six month period through our experienced Project Management Service.

Key Highlights:

• 310 MCA’s completed and returned to LCC
• MCA’s undertaken within Nursing Homes, Residential Homes and Supported Living Settings
• 90% of MCA’s undertaken within Leicestershire
• 10% MCA’s conducted Out of Area
• Average of 15 MCA’s per week
• 98% of Assessments and (if required) completed COP3 forms accepted on first submission
• 5 Qualified MHA’s employed on this contract to undertake assessments
• 7 working day average turnaround per assessment (from visit to submission to LCC)

Cardiff City Councils Children’s Service was struggling with a large backlog within their CIN and LAC service. Compounded by caseloads of Council Social Workers many assessments were falling out of statutory timescales. The Council required a dedicated team that could focus specifically on dealing with historic cases, which would take pressure off their existing workforce.

The Council commissioned Flex360 to provide interim support to their CIN and LAC Service. After meeting with the Council, we proposed a tailor made solution to efficiently support them with their backlog over an initial period of six months. We integrated the team into the Children’s Service, using the Local Authority’s resources such as PCs, desk space and telephones.

Key Highlights:

• Managed 700 cases of which 100 were transferred back to the Council as Care Plans had not been concluded.
• Closed over 500 cases, initiated Care Proceedings and deregistered 80 children
• Managed high risk CSE cases and engaged partner agencies to accept responsibility resulting in risks being reduced and perpetrators being successfully convicted.
• Issued ICO applications for children who have been drifting in care (s20) for more than six months
• Reviewed children subject to full Care Orders and placed at home
• Re-assessed and prepared cases for discharge of Care Orders
• Reviewed LAC cases leading to five children being successfully rehabilitated
• SOS approach used to map long standing CIN and CP cases in which risks and protective factors were not clear

Croydon Council were experiencing both workforce and capacity pressures within their existing Referral & Assessment and Care Planning Teams. The Council required additional resource in the form of three dedicated managed Social Work teams;

Two teams of six experienced Social Workers and an experienced Social Work Team Manager for each team to focus specifically within R&A. The third team of six Social Workers and a Social Work Team Manager was to specifically focus on Care Planning. All with the premise to relieve pressure and support their existing workforce.

The rational was to reduce the risk to the service and service users by allocating backlog and new cases to a taskforce which would inevitably boost morale, provide an opportunity to motivate incumbent Social Service employees and to facilitate the maintenance of reasonable and achievable caseloads moving forward.

Flex360’s dedicated and experienced task force commenced in July 2018.

Key Highlights:

• Caseloads safely managed down from an average 45 to 16, which was below target
• Contributed to broader improvement and QA of the service
• Worked collaboratively in enabling Croydon to focus on management grip
• Managed considerable throughput of legacy drift cases
• Swift deployment of teams, fully integrated in order to work in true partnership

Gloucestershire County Council required a social work partner to manage the Children In Need Populations’ cases due to the constant increase in incumbent Social Workers caseloads.

Flex360 were chosen as a partner to help champion change and best practice and to deliver high quality front-line social work as part of their improvement programme.

Key Highlights:

• 320 cases allocated, 284 assessments completed within 28 weeks
• 60% of assessments completed within 10 working days / 40% completed within 15 to 25 days
• 171 cases successfully closed or stepped down to early help
• An average of 40 assessments completed per week

Swindon Borough Council was struggling with a backlog of Children’s assessments. Compounded by caseloads of Council social workers many assessments were falling out of statutory timescales. The council required a dedicated team that could focus specifically on 108 assessment, which would take pressure off their existing workforce.

The Council Commissioned Flex360 to commence on the 13th August for an 8 week period to complete assessments and determine plans and outcomes for cases where there has been substantial drift or difficult to get to cases. It was agreed the project would look to hold 108 cases that would need to be assessed. Once assessment has been completed to ensure the cases have a trajectory that reflects the issues bore out in the assessment. Comprehensive case summaries and 10 day reviews were considered the way forward in progressing the work

Key Highlights:

• All 108 assessments completed satisfactorily within the 8 week timeline.
• The team built an excellent working relationship with Swindon’s incumbent assessment team
• Significant and sustainable reduction achieved in cases to the Child Protection team, enabling SBC staff to feel better about caseloads and a positive impact and difference to their day-to-day work.
• Dedicated management oversight and clear direction given to Social Workers.