Appendix 4.
Self-assessment checklist for partners 

The checklist on the next few pages sets out some of the high-level practical issues around drug and alcohol services raised in this report. NHS boards, councils, police forces, prisons and the voluntary and private sectors should use the checklist to assess themselves against each statement as appropriate and assess the strength of all relevant partnership arrangements.

This checklist is based on statements from a variety of sources including previous Audit Scotland reports, Audit Commission reports and National Audit Office reports. 

	Assessment of current position
		
	No – 
action needed
	No - but action in hand
	Yes – in place but needs improving
	Yes – in place and working well
	Not 
applicable
	Comments

Governance for partners and partnerships
							
Agreed priorities and plans
							
Are all outcomes, strategies and action plans related to drugs and alcohol in a local area compatible? 
							
Is there joint involvement in strategic planning, priority setting, and resource allocation by partner agency and partnerships? 
							
Does planning for drug and alcohol services happen across agency and partnership boundaries? 
							
Are service outcomes, priorities and plans included in all service development and commissioning activities?
							
Risks
							
Has a joint risk assessment been carried out against agreed key priorities and actions? 
							
Are identified risks being actively addressed and monitored?
							
Accountability
							
Is there an agreed scheme of delegation that clearly states what services, resources and responsibilities partner agencies have devolved to other partner agencies or partnerships? 
							
Does the agreed scheme of delegation set out the process for accountability of the partnership?
							
Financial management
							
Has a joint financial framework been agreed by all relevant parties? 
							
Does the joint financial framework include:

•	an agreed budget?
•	regular update reports?
•	accounting systems?							
Will the joint financial framework allow the tracking of the funding?
							
Commissioning 
							
Is the commissioning process between partners integrated, or at a minimum, complementary?
							
Is there a clear protocol or established arrangements for commissioning and developing services involving NHS boards, local councils and the voluntary and private sectors?
							
Do the commissioning arrangements link to each partner’s mainstream activities and budget processes?
							
Is there a standard contract or service level agreement used for all drug and alcohol services across the area?
							
Does the contract or service level agreement include:

•	clearly defined roles and responsibilities?
•	lines of accountability? 
•	quality standards, eg clinical guidelines or good practice that should be followed?
•	expected activity and/or outcomes?							
Does every service have a contract or service level agreement in place?
							
Are there shared guidelines, protocols and procedures with essential services (such as in housing, children’s services  and employment services) detailing the criteria for referral between services, the treatment and support options available and the protocols for sharing information between services? 

Performance management framework
							
Data collection
							
Do performance monitoring arrangements collect robust and proportionate information on costs and performance of drug and alcohol services?
							
Is there an agreed minimum level of data to be collected by all drug and alcohol services at a local level?
							
Do these data incorporate: 

•	national data requirements? 
•	clear definitions? 
•	activity, outcomes and spend so that value for money can be monitored and evaluated?
•	set timescales for collection?							
Is there a brief reporting template for services to complete the data?
							
These data will provide a financial benchmarking tool to compare services in terms of activity, outcomes and cost and to determine whether the services offer value for money.
	
Service quality
							
Does the performance framework include service quality such as national quality standards, application of clinical guidelines and service users’ views?
							
Is this performance framework monitored regularly? 
							
Are protocols in place to deal with failures in the application of these quality measures?                                                                                     

Evidence-based services
							
Basic questions
							
Has all expenditure on drug and alcohol services in the area been identified?
							
Have the range, activity and outcomes (or aims if outcomes are not available) of all the services provided in the area been mapped out?
							
Are there evidenced reasons to justify the split of spending between different types of services?
							
Make full use of existing evidence
							
Is all of the information collected locally used to regularly review current provision against good practice, service activity and service outcomes (where available)?
							
Is this information used to identify evidenced options for change?
							
Is the latest evidence of effectiveness and identified good practice used?
							
Is this information used to change existing services or commission new ones?
							
Involving service users, their families, service providers and commissioners:
							
Have the views of service users, their families, service providers and commissioners on the quality, accessibility and range of existing services been canvassed?
							
Have the views of service users, their families, service providers, commissioners and the police on the new trends in drug and alcohol use been canvassed?
							
Is the latest evidence of effectiveness and identified good practice used?