This essential guide to commissioning and purchasing in social care provides case studies, guidelines, and checklists to help readers to assess need, develop care plans and select suppliers of care. It clearly explains: the reasons for the shift to commissioning and purchasing away from direct provision the distinction between commissioning and purchasing how to ensure that the commissioning and purchasing process fully reflects the views of users and carers contracts and tenders costs and prices in relation to providing quality care how safeguards can be built into the commissioning and purchasing process. This is an invaluable resource that focuses on the practical skills required to deliver effective care. It has been written for social care students, frontline staff and their managers to help them through the process.