Making a bigger difference through partnerships

For me it comes down to one very simple thing and that’s the nature of the relationship between the commissioner of a service and whoever provides it.

‘Partnership’ is an overused term and people have differing views of what that means in practice. I know from experience, though, that we make the biggest difference by becoming involved earlier, by understanding what commissioners of services – and the people that will ultimately use those services – need, and by having an honest discussion about what that looks like, what it costs and what both parties need to do to bring an idea to life. That’s what partnership means to me; it’s a meeting of minds and a sharing of both the risks and the rewards.

The benefits of proper partnerships between housing and health are pretty well documented. In One Place is one such example. The Housing Learning and Improvement Network is a great resource for more in-depth case studies and research, while the National Housing Federation is now producing a dedicated briefing for members on connecting housing and health.

And yet against that backdrop, there are concerns from some, particularly within Wales, about housing associations broadening their work beyond bricks and mortar. The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee’s report on regulation of housing associations in Wales was published in August and expressed concerns about diversification into services other than the core business of social housing, but that’s an issue in itself and best left for another time – it needs wider consideration and debate.

“The benefits of proper partnerships between housing and health are pretty well documented.”

Staying with a Welsh perspective though, the structure of seven health boards making up NHS Wales has definitely played a part in allowing some strong regional partnerships to form with the housing sector. Some health boards are more advanced in their thinking than others, however, and are making much more progress as a result. Where such partnerships are delivering the most, both for individuals and for the public purse, it’s because they are not only based on honesty, shared aims and shared responsibility, but are a commitment that everyone is in it for the longer term.

At Pobl we’ve seen a growing appreciation among our health and social care partners that longer-term contracting arrangements need to play a bigger part in the delivery of successful care and support solutions. This is a welcome shift away from short-term, knee-jerk procurement decisions that can create uncertainty, upheaval and insecurity for the people who both use and deliver services.

I really value the procurement expertise we have within Pobl and the importance of ensuring we are open and transparent in the way we do business. Procurement needn’t be just about sourcing ever cheaper supplies. Procurement expertise at its best helps us create frameworks and ways of working that enable longer-term, transparent partnering, and that stand up to scrutiny and demonstrate continued value for money.

When commissioners, service providers and investors have the courage to take a longer-term view, this doesn’t lead to complacency or detract from the desire to drive value. What it does do is provide the confidence to underpin long-term investment, ensure quality for customers is paramount and that the people who deliver our services can feel secure, be developed and build longlasting careers.

That’s the sort of partnership we should all want to be involved in.

Amanda Davies, chief executive, Pobl