Councillors have welcomed significant progress in the way services are planned, commissioned and monitored across The Highland Council’s Children and Justice Service portfolio.
The improvements led by the Children and Justice Service Commissioning and Contracts Team, which was established in April 2024, have helped ensure services deliver best value for money, meet current needs, and deliver on outcomes.
Councillor David Fraser, Chair of the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, said:
“I would like to commend the significant work undertaken by the Children’s and Justice Service Commissioning and Contracts Team and the progress made in strengthening how we plan, commission and monitor services across Highland. The work has improved oversight and helped ensure services deliver value for money while continuing to meet the needs of our communities.
“A particular focus has been our domestic abuse services and the continued investment in support provision across the Highlands. We are working with our partners to ensure the services we support are effective, sustainable and centred around the needs of those who use them.”
At the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee today, Members heard extensive work has been undertaken over the last two years to review legacy contract arrangements, improve oversight, and establish a more robust and transparent commissioning framework, following the transfer of a number of commissioned services from NHS Highland to The Highland Council.
This has included introducing a single contractual framework, strengthening governance and performance monitoring, and developing a structured programme of service reviews to ensure commissioned services continue to meet current needs.
The work has also contributed the Council’s wider financial sustainability goals.
This commissioning process has led to the establishment of the new Highland Domestic Abuse Service, which provides greater service stability through multi-year, contractual arrangements.
A review of refuge services remains ongoing with funding in place to ensure continuity of services until 31st March 2027.
An update on a whole system review of Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) arrangements in the Highlands and Islands is also ongoing, with a report due to be considered by the Violence Against Women Partnership and the Highland Chief Officer’s Group, which comprises multi-agency partners including Police Scotland, NHS Highland, Highland Council, and Third Sector Partners, later this year.
Councillor Fraser added:
“Funding for both Refuge Services and MARAC activity has been made available while the respective reviews are completed. Services for people affected by domestic abuse continue to be supported, while the Council and its partners take the necessary time to complete thorough reviews that will help ensure future provision is effective, sustainable and responsive to need.”