Agenda item

1.

Title of Item/Report

Strategic Commissioning Board – Corporate Approach

2.

Record of the Decision

Consideration was given to a report on Strategic Commissioning Board – Corporate Approach.

In Summer 2025, Powering Our Future Board (POF Board) approved a review of strategic commissioning across key directorates of the Council.  The Project initiation Document (PID) set out the scope and focus for this review, identifying key outcomes including ensuring strategic approach to commissioning were aligned to priorities and medium-term financial plan, a focus on early intervention and prevention, and longer-term reduction of high-cost packages of care, reduced duplication across services, stronger partnerships and collaboration across services where there were mutual agreements, trust and transparency and increased value for money.

A cross directorate working group (colleagues across Children’s, Adults, Public?Health, Housing & A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees, Procurement and Finance) was stood up in the Summer of 2025 and had completed a baseline assessment of governance, leadership, finance, capacity,?capability and maturity against the current strategic commissioning cycle at both a macro and micro level. 

This baseline identified?areas of good practice and opportunities to strengthen corporate oversight and steer across key areas of the commissioning cycle, including assessment of need, designing outcomes, strategic planning, value for money, service transformation, and monitoring/improvement.?

The proposed approach to achieving this was the introduction of a new approach to commissioning, working towards and implementing a new Target Operating Model (TOM). This would be underpinned by a new Strategic Commissioning Board, comprising of senior officers with appropriate decision making authority, that would work within the schemes of delegation and provide the Council with greater management and oversight and commissioning of the local services. Key decisions would remain the decision of Cabinet and regular reports from the Commissioning Board will be presented to Cabinet.

RESOLVED that the content of the report be noted and the direction of travel be approved including:

-         The Strategic Commissioning Board will be stood up and begin work on identifying priority areas of work. In addition, work will begin on working towards a more integrated model of commissioning for health and care.

-         The annual commissioning report will be drafted and produced for April 2027.

-         A quarterly report will be presented to the Corporate Management Team for assurance and oversight.

3.

Reasons for the Decision

The Council’s Powering our Futures’ programme is a long-term, mission-led programme which will review how we work, deliver services and support communities over the coming years. The Strategic Commissioning review will focus on meeting these objectives, with an ambition to improve the commissioning process, ensure we are delivering services in the most efficient and effective way, and as a result deliver significant financial benefits to contribute towards the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.

4.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None

5.

Declared (Cabinet Member) Conflicts of Interest

None

6.

Details of any Dispensations

None

7.

Date and Time by which Call In must be executed

Midnight, 22 May 2026