The Commissioning Support Programme offers a new approach to efficiency savings. A new Outcomes and Efficiency programme will support local authorities as they make significant cuts in their budgets for services to children and young people. The Programme provides free access to materials applicable across all services to children, young people and their families for local authorities and their partners.

The materials have been developed in response to sector demand to help local authorities, PCTs and their partners confront the specific efficiency challenges they are facing. The programme includes workshops and action learning sets on whole system transformation and managing specialist budget pressures such as looked after children.

The Programme offers a two hour exploratory meeting for Directors, Chief Executives, and Lead Members to review the new methodology and to explore how commissioning can be deployed to tackle in-year savings and design future service models. It also undertakes bespoke consultancy support with all 152 local authorities, PCTS and their partners.

The OEP is available at http://www.commissioningsupport.org.uk/