THAMES VALLEY COMMUNITY
REHABILITATION COMPANY
BUSINESS PLAN, 2014-2015
(April, 2014) Revised July, 2014
Our Mission:
Our job is to develop, deliver and assure effective rehabilitation and
public protection services that are successful in ensuring less
re-offending, fewer victims.
Our Values:
1. To respect and value difference
2. To act with integrity
3. To work co-operatively and in partnership
4. To positively change attitudes, thinking and behaviour
5. To ensure quality and strive for excellence
6. To effectively and efficiently deliver reductions in re-offending
Thames Valley Community Rehabilitation Company
Business Plan 2014-15
1. Foreword
1.1 Implementation of the changes associated with the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme is and will continue to be a major challenge over the next 12 months. However, Thames Valley CRC is in a relatively fortunate position in three respects. Firstly, as a single Trust Contract Package Area avoiding the complexities associated with amalgamation will make the process of change relatively less complex than in some other contract areas. Secondly, there is the benefit of a cohesive senior management team which is committed to leading staff through the changes effectively. Thirdly, Thames Valley has continued to improve its position as a high performing Trust right up to the change which provides a good basis for maintaining operational resilience during what will inevitably be a demanding period.
1.2 In terms of the challenges the CRC will face as it commences delivery through the period until mobilisation by the new provider, the single most important issue is to ensure that the workforce, in terms of recruitment and turnover, but specifically the baseline of “skills and competence” remains at a level that is sufficient to maintain quality and performance. Thames Valley has always had to work extremely hard with this for a number of reasons including geographical location/cost of living together with relatively good levels of employment/high levels of mobility. As such the workforce is relatively young and inexperienced requiring a high level of investment in training and continuous staff development.
1.3 This Business Plan is a resume of what has been a process of preparation and planning for the changes that commenced in earnest in October 2013. At that stage a number of documents were produced including a Position Statement relating to NPS and CRC delivery and a composite NPS and CRC Interim Plan identifying the actions that are required to be taken by the emerging NPS and CRC individually and collaboratively.
1.4 Key to this document is identifying and articulating the “working principles” upon which delivery by the CRC will be based. These form the foundation of the developmental approach that will be proposed to the new company owners in due course. Work on this has therefore been taken forward at an early stage and presented to the future CRC staff group for consultation and comment. The working principles together with the approach to practice that flow from them are set out in the Organisational Development Plan. The Organisational Development Plan should therefore be regarded as the key document and referred to as a basis to considering the other sections of this Plan.
2. Strategic Priorities
2.1 The Strategic Priorities that have been identified are limited in their focus and scope to what can be delivered during 2014-15. This is because whilst it will be important to establish a solid basis and a clear direction for the new owner post share sale, a balance has to be struck between dealing with the short term delivery imperatives and commencing longer term development work without yet being in a position of knowing the operating plans and priorities of the new owner.
2.2 However, whilst adopting a short term perspective as far as the practical aspects of this Plan is concerned, at the same time there is sufficient information to begin to identify a strategic direction that is likely to fit to a greater or lesser extent to coincide with the direction any new owner is likely to adopt.
2.3 The priorities are informed by relevant documentation from the Ministry of Justice including the Target Operating Model and Start Up Handbook, information in relation to the NOMS Commissioning Intentions/Priorities, legislative provision especially the Offender Rehabilitation Act. In addition, the priorities must encapsulate and be informed by Thames Valley local needs and issues ensuring that there is continuity from the Trust to the new CRC delivery structure and approach to delivery. The overarching strategic priority is of course to ensure that the CRC is sufficiently established to enable it to fulfil the interim contract with NOMS. Sitting below this are the individual priorities:
i. To establish the procedures and processes associated with the implementation of the Target Operating Model and which comply with supporting guidance and Instructions.
ii. To ensure that the Governance and Support Services Infrastructure arrangements are adequate to enable the requirements of the CRC in terms of proberty, accountability and effectiveness to be properly discharged.
iii. To lead and support the CRC staff group through the change process enabling them to be fully engaged and to participate in the development and implementation of the CRC approach to delivery as set out in the working principles.
iv. To establish the working principles of TV CRC as the agreed basis upon which to develop the organisation towards share sale and mobilisation by the new provider (See Organisational Development Plan).
v. To ensure that the matrix of partnerships and multi-agency collaboration and delivery is maintained and secondly that there is a particular focus on continuing to develop provision in terms of the reducing reoffending pathways including in relation to Health and Accommodation. Within this priority area the importance of maintaining the Integrated Offender Management delivery arrangements should also be emphasised.
vi. To (begin to) realign CRC service delivery activity towards the implementation of the provisions of the Offender Rehabilitation Act in relation to post short prison sentence supervision and the changes from Supervision and Specified Activity requirements to the Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. To include strengthening skills and capacity in terms of Through the Gate delivery.
Objectives
No. / Strategic Objective / Milestones / Milestone Date / Owner /i / Objective:
To adapt, amend, revise and develop the basic suite of TV CRC procedures and process maps consistent with the high level procedures/instructions developed by the MoJ/NOMS.
Milestones:
i. Transition Sub Group Report.
ii. Delivery to agreed priorities.
iii. Identification of ‘phase 2’ process development priorities to be agreed with new owners.
Outcomes:
i. Core processes/procedures in place.
ii. Briefing/instructions to staff issued and followed up. / April 2014
May-Sept 2014
Oct 2014 / Graham McCartney (Elizabeth Medhurst)
ii. / Objective:
To develop and implement an interim local performance management regime.
Milestones:
i. Parameters agreed/signed off.
ii. Interim Performance Reporting Mechanism/Balanced
Score Card in place.
Outcomes:
i. Ability to monitor and report performance including
outcomes e.g. successful completions plus a range of
indicators relating to NPS/CRC interface. / May 2014
July 2014 / Paul Gillbard /
Graham McCartney
iii. / Objective: To have established the CRC Governance and Planning arrangements.
Milestones:
i. All required CRC Start Up policies available for first
Board meeting on 2 June 2014
ii Business Plan to first Board meeting and final version
signed off along with Delivery Plan
Outcomes:
i. Arrangements and content shared and confirmed as
acceptable with NOMS. / June 2014
July 2014 / Richard Lawrence-Wilson
iv. / Objective:
To complete the CRC operational resource deployment regime enabling staff delivery needs and demands to be modelled and acted upon.
Milestones:
i. LDU resource deployment model adopted.
ii. Non staffing and non operational costs to be factored.
iii. Deployment Reviews.
Outcomes:
i. Resource requirement set along side allocation enabling
internal action and review with NOMS Contract Manager
as appropriate. / April 2014
June 2014
Sept/Dec 2014 / Paul Gillbard /
Bob Atkins
v. / Objective:
To develop and implement the business model for the delivery of structured approaches to supervision and interventions.
Milestones:
i. Accredited Programme, SAR, Supervision and Reporting Centre and Attendance Centre delivery reviewed as core components of a project plan.
ii. Project delivered.
iii. Review of service user access requirements post project
implementation
Outcomes:
i. Decentralised interventions delivery within local ASIST
(team) to create additional resilience and flexibility.
ii. Structured Supervision Centre programme in place at all
main sites, as agreed.
ii. Proposals for future service user access (potentially post
share sale) articulated. / April 2014
June-Aug 2014
October 2014 / Stephen Czajewski
vi. / Objective:
Establish the structures, processes and approaches to enable the resettlement service to service users, including the under 12 months cohort, to be implemented and incorporated into the model for structured supervision.
Milestones:
i. Project Initiated.
ii. Project delivery in collaboration with key partners
including local prisons.
Outcomes:
i. Implementation Plan in place for presentation to the new
CRC owner and/or to enable new services to be
commenced / August 2014
Sept-Nov 2014 / Graham McCartney
Partnerships and Contracting Strategy
i. CRC and NPS Interface – Work has been completed on an interim agreed approach to partnership representation and liaison between NPS and CRC. This will be finalised following guidance (pending) from the MoJ.
ii. CRC development during the interim contract phase includes a strengthened focus on reducing reoffending pathway development. The interim organisational structure provides for senior manager resources to be directed at specific pathways where an intensive approach and profile is required e.g. health or where there was a limited focus by the Trust e.g. accommodation. It must be acknowledged that ensuring sufficient representation and liaison will be a challenge and to this end there will be a focus on ensuring that all operational staff are better equipped to be “outward facing”. This will be incorporated into the Training Plan.
iii. Thames Valley Probation was highly successful in maintaining a large number of agreements in order to access community resources/ services. These have taken the form of service level agreements, benefits in kind, grants and so on. They have been reviewed as part of the Transformation Rehabilitation changes but in the most part have been rolled forward. It is a priority to ensure that this matrix of agreements and arrangements is maintained and where appropriate expanded during the interim contract phase so that the new owner has the benefit of these services without in some cases, having to enter into contractual and potentially costly alternative arrangements,
iv. The devolution of authority and responsibility to operational directors enabling them to develop partnership arrangements and provide seed corn funding to small local enterprises will be maintained.
v. There are a number of key voluntary agencies that Thames Valley CRC will continue to support and nurture. Examples include Thames Valley Partnership, Aspire in Oxford, and the Bucks Association for the Care of Service users (BACO).
vi. In relation to key strategic partnerships the priority of maintaining investment by both Police and Probation in Integrated Offender Management cannot be overstated. It is aimed that the joint agency teams will be supported and where feasible, the operating arrangements improved. The CRC will also contribute to and support the police led initiative in research and evaluation.
vii. The contract to supply volunteer and mentoring services with SOVA has been rolled forward for 2014-15. In addition the small locally developed volunteer service New Leaf now operated by Thames Valley Partnership will also continue to be supported.
viii. The CRC will continue with a strong focus on services to women service users (as per NOMS commissioning priorities). This will include supporting the Women’s Resource Centre in Reading and collaborating to develop lower cost alternatives across Thames Valley.
ix. In relation to the delivery of Restorative Justice interventions, Thames Valley Probation has rested the ongoing development and management of Restorative Justice with Thames Valley Partnership increasingly over the past 1-2 years. However, TV CRC will continue to fund Restorative Justice interventions during 2014-15 but it should be noted that the PCC has funding which could be made available for this purpose. Negotiations will continue with the PCC to pick up resourcing of Restorative Justice development and delivery in its entirety.
Public Protection and ROSH Management Strategy
i. The need to ensure that public protection is reflecting strongly in the CRC delivery structure is supported by identifying a senior manager who combines the lead for MAPPA liaison, safeguarding children, with responsibilities to coordinate reviews in relation to Serious Further Offences, Child Serious Case Reviews and Domestic Homicide Reviews.
ii. The (draft) CRC/NPS TV interface agreement sets out the representational requirements on both the CRC and NPS including where representation/direct involvement by both organisations is required. The approach is subject to ongoing work by MOJ as part of the TR Programme and is therefore subject to charge. The TV proposals are as follows:
· Community Safety Partnerships – CRC lead with NPS link e.g. Domestic Abuse, Child Sexual Exploitation
· Safeguarding Adults and Children – both organisations
· MASH – NPS
· MARAC – NPS (with CRC “PRIME” link)
· MAPPA – NPS
· Approved Premises – NPS with CRC liaison arrangements including for the voluntary managed Women’s Approved Premise
· Death under Supervision – NPS (CRC link)
· Risk Review and Escalation – Led by the respective CRC senior managers with sign off arrangements by local operational managers
iii. For the period of the interim contract the CRC will maintain use of the OASys risk of serious harm assessment process.
iv. In relation to escalation of risk in term of service users subject to punishment requirements only, principally UPW, the same approach of management review and sign-off before referral to the NPS will be maintained.
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
i. The (draft) NPS/CRC Interface Agreement referred to above provides guidance in relation to stakeholder engagement as it includes some decisions where there could be uncertainty about NPS/CRC involvement. These include: