Shaping the local Learning Difficulties and Autism Provider Market
Bristol City Council wanted support to engage with their supplier market to develop and test new models of care and support for Adults with Learning Difficulties and Autism. They wanted to challenge their approach to supporting residents to ensure they were delivering person-centred outcomes that focused on the goals and ambitions of individual service users. Bristol also wanted to ensure that they transformed the way they procure services and engage with the market to deliver financially sustainable services into the future.
The Role
The 31ten team worked with key stakeholders in Bristol to get a rapid picture of the issues and shape of the local market. Working alongside the Council team we:
- Worked with Bristol to develop their commercial skillset, mindset and collaborative and partnership focus
- Arranged a supplier event for new and existing partners where we offered them the opportunity to feed back on various care models and discussed how they might fit the Bristol context
- Held follow-up 1:1 conversations with providers working in the Bristol market
- Developed a series of recommendations focused on how Bristol could deliver sustainable services for residents and use their commercial position to shape and strengthen the market
Key Outcomes
- 29 providers attended a market engagement event, with 17 progressing into 1:1 follow up conversations
- Bristol have a deeper understanding of their local provider marker and other options available in the national market
- A set of delivery models have been developed and tested with providers showing that there is an appetite for change in the market
- 31ten worked alongside the Council to ensure buy-in from local partners, including health services, for the recommendations
- The team have developed practical and tangible next steps for the Council team to progress the programme of work
- Identified financial benefits in the range of £0.6m – £2.1m by 2026
The team at 31ten worked alongside Bristol City Council to engage directly with the local provider market. The team worked quickly to engage with the local provider market and provide a knowledgeable independent voice that facilitated open conversations allowing for meaningful engagement with our established providers and the wider national LD and Autism provider market. We are excited to take this work on and to develop new models of care across the city.
Richard Hills
Head of Service – Transformation in Adult Social Care, Bristol City Council
