Selected Transformation Experience: Service Improvement & Transformation
Redesigning Short Breaks without reducing support
Using co-production, public consultation and innovation funding to improve inclusion and educational outcomes while making the offer more sustainable.
The Challenge
The short-breaks offer needed to respond to rising demand, uneven access and financial pressure. The existing assessment and resource-allocation approach required review, but changes were politically sensitive and families needed confidence that the redesign was about better outcomes and choice rather than simply removing support.
My Contribution
I analysed the existing landscape and co-produced a strategy focused on children’s needs, inclusive community opportunities and gaps in provision. I worked with legal, communications and senior leadership colleagues to take the proposals through full public consultation, member briefings, scrutiny and cabinet consideration, explaining clearly what would and would not change for families.
I secured £2 million in Department for Education Short Breaks Innovation funding to test approaches designed to improve educational attendance and outcomes. The programme moved from funded innovation into business as usual, linking the strategic case, family experience, provider arrangements and implementation rather than treating consultation as the end of the process.
Outcome
Investment for change: £2 million in DfE innovation funding was secured to test new approaches.
Sustained delivery: The programme was embedded as business as usual rather than ending with the funding period.
Protected support and value: The redesign delivered £0.5 million efficiencies without reducing care for families, despite more children using the service and having access to more short breaks opportunities.
At a glance
Area
Children’s social care
Short Breaks for disabled children and families
Focus
Service redesign
Strategy review and implementation
Co-production
Commissioning and sustainability
Political acumen
Delivery Context
Public consultation
Elected members
Providers
Operational teams
Relevant Support
Options development
Co-production
Business case and funding
Facilitation
Implementation
What this experience could bring to your organisation
This experience is relevant where a short-breaks or wider SEND support offer needs to become more sustainable without losing sight of family resilience, inclusion and outcomes. It is particularly useful where leaders need to bring together a sound financial case, meaningful engagement and the practical detail of delivery.
FLCC can support demand analysis, options development, consultation and co-production, member engagement, commissioning design and implementation planning.
Your system will have it’s own history, pressures and possibilities…
I will not arrive with a fixed answer. We can begin by understanding what is happening now and what workable improvement would look like for you. We work together to agree a sustainable improvement plan.