3SC and Offploy – The Role of Contract Management in Continuous Service Improvement
Offploy was formed in 2016 and is a social enterprise started by ex-prisoners to help those with convictions secure employment and lead a positive life. Offploy offer service users in the justice sector an opportunity to develop and gain employment skills and jobs through their 9-step employability programme and work closely with employers to ensure the best outcome for service users.
In 2018, Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) carried out a pilot with Offploy to deliver their services to the service users within the Hull area. The pilot was successful and from this the CRC decided to continue to work with Offploy in Hull with a contract which also led to the National Probation Service (NPS) purchasing the service via the rate card.
3SC was involved early in the contract negotiations to ensure the contract was sustainable and appropriate for the service which was to be delivered for both the CRC and NPS; and that the evidence from the outcomes could be demonstrated through the contract KPIs. From July 2019, 3SC contract managed Offploy through contract performance assessment meetings and quality deep dive processes.
In August 2019, the first quality deep dive took place looking at areas of good practice as well as identifying any areas for improvement where 3SC could offer support. Offploy demonstrated evidence of a robust initial assessment of their service user needs and there was comprehensive evidence of interventions carried out to support the service user journey to sustained employment.
Where 3SC found a gap was in recording the planning of interventions as part of the service user’s action plan which was linked to the initial assessment and was tailored to each individual’s requirements. When we discussed this with Offploy, they quickly saw the benefit and agreed to design a document which met their needs. This document would enable regular reviews where progress and achievements could be monitored and recorded at regular intervals.
Another area for improvement was Offploy’s risk assessment process based on information supplied by the relevant offender manager which was particularly important in the case of NPS service users. Based on advice from 3SC, Offploy implemented a process whereby they would only begin working with a service user once documentation of the relevant risk and safeguarding information had been provided and assessed.
3SC’s quality checks are carried out quarterly and based on the evidence provided, Offploy has shown progression and commitment to ongoing continuous improvement in their service delivery. The lessons taken on board in HLNY were beneficial and used when Offploy implemented their delivery in West Yorkshire for the Leeds CRC in September 2019.
Offploy have now been working in HLNY for 12 months and over this time they have worked with 214 service users of which 79 service users have fully completed the employability course and 44 service users have gained employment with many more working to become work ready through the Offploy 9-step employability programme.
Offploy said;
“3SC’s support has been invaluable in helping us quickly and effectively meet the high standards of the NPS and the CRC. Their support has helped us improve our information sharing, induction and target management processes so that we can focus on our core mission of reducing reoffending and making society safer by placing people with criminal convictions into meaningful, mentored and sustainable employment.”
Gareth Snaith, Contract Performance Manager, 3SC