The Core Asset's perspective of our work in partnership with Bridges Ventures. Using Social Investment to improve outcomes for children through safely supporting the stepping down of Children and Young People from Residential services to fostering.

1. Better results,
better value:
commissioning
for outcomes
A Provider’s Perspective
Paul Riley
Executive Director, Strategic Developments & Partnerships

2. • Founded in 1994 by social worker
Jim Cockburn and foster carer
Jan Rees
• Now operating across full
spectrum of children’s social care
delivery in over 10 countries
• Mission-driven: making a positive
and lasting difference for children,
families and communities
About Core Assets

3. Birmingham Children in Care Social Impact Bond
Birmingham City Council found that:
• 20% of its 180 children’s home
placements were not appropriate
• Total cost of this was £2-3m p.a.
Aim of the Birmingham SIB:
• To transition up to 80 young
people in residential care into
intensive therapeutic foster care.

4. Birmingham SIB: Procurement & contract
Birmingham City Council:
• Defined outcome – 52 weeks placement stability in foster care
• Commissioned on a ‘black box’ basis
• Used the ‘competitive dialogue’ process
• Single point contract
Provider perspective:
• Flexibility in choice of interventions
• Able to explore risk allocation and risk costing
• Up to provider to find social investment partner(s)
• Reasonable contract horizon – 4 + 2 years

5. Residential to foster care evidence based intervention
Attachment based - Carers as
primary agent of change training
and support.
Systemic - multi-disciplinary team
as a supportive scaffolding around
the YP and carer.
Thinking team can manage stress
and contain risk, generate solutions
as different professions have
different things to offer.
Care experienced mentors engage
with YP right at start of process and
throughout.

8. Birmingham SIB: Engagement with education
 Improved school attendance.
 No exclusions since moves to
foster care.
 Mixed improvement in
attitude to school.

9. Birmingham SIB: What the young people think
• Seeing an increase in positive activities
(e.g. joining a hockey team; attending
youth clubs; volunteering at a food bank)
“I feel safe,
supported
and happy.”
“It feels like
home.”

10. Birmingham SIB: Reflection on the first year
• Healthy mix of evidence based interventions, innovation
and flexibility
• Bridges Ventures relationship has brought not just social
investment but operational support and useful discipline
• Nature and duration of contract giving ability to plan for
the long term
• Outcomes improving for the significant majority of young
people on the scheme.
• Birmingham City Council already achieved net cashable
savings of £150k
• Lots of positive problem solving!