Explore valuable resources and networking opportunities for commissioners, designed to support and enhance their role in the social care sector.
Effective commissioning is key to creating sustainable, high-quality care and support services. It helps shape local markets, strengthen the workforce and improve outcomes for people who draw on care and support.
Our resources, tools and networks are designed to support commissioners at every stage of their career. Whether you're looking to develop your knowledge, strengthen commissioning practice or connect with peers, you'll find practical support across a range of topics, including workforce planning, recruitment and retention, quality improvement and inclusive commissioning.
National peer network for commissioners
Join the free, national community of thousands of adult social care commissioners from across England. Learn and share best practices, experiences, and tackle real-life commissioning challenges alongside peers.
- Gain early access to our commissioning practice masterclass and peer learning events.
- Members receive an exclusive monthly newsletter, including network updates, upcoming events and other news or opportunities relevant to your role.
Commissioner qualification and careers
Explore careers in commissioning including how to access the only qualification for social care and health commissioners in England.
Learn more about how the course is delivered, information on funding and how to apply.
Explore career pathways and journeys into commissioning. Learn details around getting started, how to make a difference, career development, and links to further resources.
Access free resources to help commissioners undertake strategic workforce planning and shaping, as well as case study examples and wider support and information.
Develop your local offer for people accessing direct payments and organising their own care and support. Access our resources and information for individual employers, personal assistants (PAs) and supporting organisations.
Recruitment and retention
Learn effective strategies and best practices for attracting and retaining top talent in this field.
Learn about the details on overseas recruitment and retention, supporting a diverse workforce, creating a positive place to work, effective leadership as well as staff wellbeing, development and recognition.
Quality
Discover the four pillars or productivity, how they affect quality and how you can build them into your commissioned support.
PDF - 560 Kb
Explore the social care workforce and quality model, including its background, and how to implement and evaluate quality improvement in your setting.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Build principles of equality, diversity and inclusion into commissioning practice and commissioned services.
Explore the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) including what it is, the background and the SC-WRES Improvement Programme 12-month cycle.
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Learn what a positive workforce culture is and how you can develop, and maintain where needed. Discover the importance of a positive workforce culture as well as practical examples.
Person centred and strengths based approaches
Learn more about what person centred and community-based working means and why it’s an important part of commissioning activity.
Person centred and community-based working - strength based approaches
Explore person centred and community-based working including strength-based approaches. Watch the video exploring the benefits of this approach and a link to the person-centred and community-based working guide.
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Explore the principles of conversational assessment to assess and plan people’s care and support.
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Discover tips on empowering communities and developing community resources and the benefits of community investment.
Learning disability and autism
Resources supporting good quality commissioning for autistic people and people with a learning disability.
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Detailing a cross-system framework for commissioning social care, health, education and children’s services for people with a learning disability.
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Detailing a cross-system framework for commissioning social care, health, education and children’s services for autistic people.
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A review of good learning disability and autism commissioning practice and impact.
Person-centred, safe and effective delegation of healthcare activities to care workers can enable people to have more choice and control of when and how things happen, with an opportunity to provide a better experience of care.