Review of Clinical and Social Care Governance arrangements in ...

6.3.1c The organisation promotes service design and provision which incorporates and is informed by:
1. Information about the health and social well-being status of the local population and an assessment of likely
future needs
2. Evidence of best practice and care, based on research fi ndings, scientifi c knowledge, and evaluation of
experience;
3. Principles of inclusion, equality and the promotion of good relations
4. Risk assessment and an analysis of current service provision and outcomes in relation to meeting assessed
needs;
5. Current and/or pending legislative and regulatory requirements
6. Resource availability; and
7. Opportunities for partnership working across the community voluntary, private and statutory sectors
6.3.1d The organisation has service planning and decision-making processes across all service user groups,
which take account of local and/or regional priorities
Service design and provision
Trusts implement service planning and decision making through Trust Delivery Plans and Planning Cycles,
using a range of sources of information to help with service design and provision. These include, for example,
access to information datasets [Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Services], Investing For Health (IFH)
documentation and partnerships with the community development and voluntary sectors.
All HSC Trusts report that Directorates in their approach to service design and provision include risk assessment,
equality and best practice procedures. All have assessed their performance as having substantially or fully
achieved in relation to this criterion.
6.3.1e The organisation has standards for the commissioning of services which are readily understood and are
available to the public.
Commissioning of services
HSC Trusts operate using regionally agreed contracts which contain organisational, fi nancial and clinical and
social care governance standards. However, analysis of the information provided indicates there are different
monitoring arrangements in place across Trusts. The Trusts are in the process of developing and improving these
arrangements.
A range of standards are used by fi ve of the HSC Trusts for the commissioning of services, which include
the Quality Standards from the DHSSPS and the Safety First framework. There are also Service and Budget
agreements that incorporate various standards which the Trusts require provider organisations to comply with.
These are all publicly available documents.
The NIAS does not commission services and considered the availability of commissioning standards to the public
as not being relevant to their organisation.
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