C
GEN54 Develop plans to meet local needs for health care services
Overview
This standard is about contributing to the development and review of the local health care strategy by developing plans for commissioning health care services. There are many statutory agencies - as well as referrers, providers etc - involved in the commissioning of health care services. It is important that all partners support the overall local strategy and are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities for commissioning specific services.
Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies.
Version No 1
Knowledge and Understanding
You will need to know and understand:
- how to develop accurate budgets for planned activities
- the importance of involving relevant people in the development and review of strategies and plans and how to do so
- opportunities that may arise to communicate strategies and plans to interested parties, and how to take advantage of these
- how to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences
- the rights of individuals to equal access to health care services
- the range of key stakeholders in the local area
- the partner agencies in the local area
- local health needs assessments and priorities
- the range of health care services available for your area of practice
- the importance of specifying how plans will be monitored and evaluated, and how to do so
- the importance of monitoring activities in line with plans, and how to do so
- how to develop plans that specify who will do what, when and how much it will cost
- the importance of adjusting plans, where the required funds are not available in full
- your own role and the limits of your responsibility and authority
- your agency’s role within the local health care partnership
- the range of services which you and your agency are responsible for commissioning
Performance Criteria
You must be able to do the following:
- agree with partner agencies the services which you and your agency are responsible for commissioning
- give key stakeholders and others involved appropriate opportunities to contribute to the development of plans
- develop plans which are capable of delivering the range and volume of services required at a cost which represents good value
- ensure your plans:
- identify who will do what, when and how much money and other resources have been budgeted
- specify dates at which key outputs will be delivered and dates when their effectiveness will be evaluated
- reflect good practice in the commissioning of health care services
- reflect the diversity of the local population and the rights of individuals to equal access to health care services
- clearly show how they will be monitored and evaluated
- agree your plans with partner agencies
- communicate clearly to those involved what is required of them
- communicate your plans to all those affected by them
Additional Information
This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health.
This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004):
Dimension: Core 4 Service Improvement
This standard has replaced DANOS CA2.