Concordat Watchdog will use all due diligence to establish good practice through effective communications with Commissioners through a two-way process where we will inform Commissioners what our expectations are concerning the use of in-patient and residential rehab treatment and making Commissioners aware of the benefits these services can offer them in relation to recovery outcomes.
In parallel, the Watchdog will provide a channel through which purchasers can raise their concerns about specific Concordat providers or about in-patient and residential rehab provision in general. Public feedback, whistleblowing and legal challenges will only be used where this first stage fails.
First Stage
The Watchdog has established a procedure to make the Watchdog process run as simply as possibly. Using the Concordat Watchdog Initial Concern Form (see example attached), available from Concordat Watchdog Centre (laura@addictiontoday.org), any provider or purchaser can start the process that may lead to a more detailed investigation.
On receipt of the completed form, Watchdog Centre, in conjunction with the Concordat Watchdog Advisory Group (details below) will consider the validity of the concern in relation to whether the concern fits one of the key purposes of the Watchdog with regard to whether local and national commissioning plans reflect sufficient and effective use of abstinent recovery services.
On establishing the broad validity of the raised concern, Watchdog Centre will:
• Register concerns with the relevant local partnership commissioning body that their plans seems to insufficiently reflect the government policy and public calls for a recovery-focused system;
• Engage with local partnerships to assess the extent to which the concerns are valid from their perspective;
• Report to Concordat Watchdog Advisory Group for decision as to whether the outcome is satisfactory or whether the second stage process (see below) is required;
• Watchdog Centre will report back to Concordat members, and the party that raised the concern with the outcome.
Second Stage
If the concern has not been resolved at the First Stage, the concern will be escalated to Second Stage. This will be likely in the following circumstances (or similar):
• Where the local partnership offers reasons for not commissioning a specific local provider, (or any other concerns raised) we will commission the services of an impartial investigator to consider, for example, whether the provider will enhance specific procedures (i.e. contact commissioner after a client discharges from their service) or the whether the provider is unfairly excluded from specific contracts;
• The findings of the impartial investigator will be shared with both the commissioner and provider concerned; and the Concordat Watchdog will set up a mediation process; if this is successful, that is the end of this exercise apart from subsequent monitoring;
• If mediation in the stage above fails, Watchdog centre will register concerns with locally elected representatives and the media, for example where the assessment of the concern indicates that a specific local partnership is pursuing plans that do not comply with key Watchdog criteria (see Concordat Watchdog Manifesto for details); the Concordat Watchdog reserves the right to work complementarily with the National Treatment Agency to improve commissioning procedures
• In the worst cases, Watchdog will recommend that legal action is taken against Commissioners, as individuals or institutionally.
Reporting
The progress of each case will be reported back to individuals and Concordat generally throughout the process. Additionally, the information from all cases will be collated and reported to local areas and Ministers periodically.
If you have any enquiries about the Concordat Watchdog, please contact Laura Graham at laura@addictiontoday.org or on 020 7233 5333.
Concordat Watchdog Advisory Group
(impartial consultants are separate and will be commissioned on an individual basis):
Deirdre Boyd – Addiction Recovery Foundation
Dave Mulvaney – RAPt
Wendy Dawson – Ley Community
Mark Styles – Pierpoint Addiction Treatment Centres
Barnie Guthrie – independent consultant
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