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How to prepare for the Procurement Act 2023 – Crown Commercial Service Procurement Essentials
How to prepare yourself as a public sector buyer - review your business
It is important to prepare for the new regulations as early as possible. This will help ensure you are ready to start getting the most benefit from the changes when they take effect.
Crown Commercial Service has broken the process of preparing for the new regulations down into five distinct workstreams that you can use to examine your organisation’s readiness and what you need to do:
- Commercial activity: review all current and planned commercial opportunities
- Standard operating procedures and policies: ensure they are robust and future-proofed for the new regime
- Guidance and information: review the documents that your teams and suppliers use and ensure they are current
- Systems: consider the readiness of your organisation’s systems and what changes may be needed
- People: ensure your people understand Transforming Public Procurement and undertake the necessary training
Early preparation and training are key
Have you ensured that your people are ready and prepared for the new regulations?
The Cabinet Office is leading the TPP programme and has already launched its first official training product in the form of Transforming Public Procurement Knowledge Drops. These Knowledge Drops are aimed at anybody who interacts regularly with procurement. They provide a high-level overview of the changes the new regulations will bring, delivered through a series of short on-demand broadcast presentations, with different versions available for buyers and suppliers. A third adaptation of the Knowledge Drops, aimed specifically at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), is also available.
You can also download their full guide on preparing your organisation for TPP.
Contract Management Pioneer Programme (CMPP)
CMPP is a partnership to support good practice in contract management offering training, networking, and direct support. Accredited training is provided through the Cabinet Office, with Local Partnerships providing the wrap-around support for participating councils.
The tools, templates and guidance have been developed in conjunction with local authorities to ensure they are relevant and useful. Based on demand there will be continued additions – so let us know if there is something you would like to see here.
A comprehensive suite of tools, resources and training can be found on their dedicated CMPP webpages.
To sign up for CMPP please contact CMPPenquiries@localpartnerships.gov.uk
Reducing restrictive practice
Essentials for commissioners of social care support for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Councils have duties, under the Care Act 2014, for safeguarding people who may not be able to protect themselves from the risk of harm due to their care and support needs. Successive investigations have shown that restrictive practices cause significant risk for people in health and care services.
Our new briefing ‘Reducing Restrictive Practice’ aims to help commissioners of social care services for people with a learning disability and autistic people recognise the restrictive practice and understand the requirements for social care providers, including the Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements.
Adult Social Care Training and Development Fund
Eligible adult social care employers in England can now claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Training and Development Fund. The fund includes over £50 million to support up to 37,000 individuals to enrol onto the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification in addition to funding for a range of other learning and development opportunities.
Road improvements
An additional £8.3 billion has been allocated to 102 more authorities across England for local road improvements. The Department for Transport has published allocations of funding for local road improvements due to reallocated HS2 funding.
Windrush Day 2024 funding
The Government has announced twenty-eight groups have been awarded funding through the Windrush Day Grant Scheme to support a range of arts, educational and sporting projects to commemorate the Windrush generation. Windrush Day is on 22 June and events and activities hosted by community-led organisations will take place between 8 June and 21 August. The full list of projects being awarded funding has been published.
Rough sleeping funding: grant determination letter
The Department for Education published information on additional funding to councils to provide extra support to care leavers at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping. The update includes a ‘Section 31 grant determination 2024 to 2025: rough sleeping funding’ letter to deliver aspects of the government’s rough sleeping strategy.
16 April 2024 | Virtual
18 April 2024 | Virtual
24 April 2024 | Virtual
30 April 2024 | Virtual | 10:00am
2 May 2024 | Virtual | 11:00am - 12:00pm
8 May 2024 | In person | Horizon Leeds, 2 Kendall Street LS10 1JR
16 May 2024 | Liverpool Exhibition Centre
23 May 2024 | Virtual | 10:30am-12:00pm
11 June | Virtual officers roundtable | 10:00am-11:45am
15 - 17 October 2024 | In person/virtual
27 - 29 November 2024 | Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool
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