Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Executive requesting agreement to proceed with the Support and Care Procurement.

RECOMMENDATION that as recommended by the Executive, Council gives approval for:

1)       Officers to proceed with the Support and Care procurement, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)       Officers to create a compliant framework, from which to call off support and care packages;

3)       The Director of Adult Social Services to have delegated authority to approve business cases to enter into call off agreements with successful organisations for individual or block contracts where price and quality benefits are achieved

The Council considered a report regarding the Care and Support Procurement.

It was proposed by Charles Margetts and seconded by Richard Dolinski that the recommendations set out within the report be agreed.

Charles Margetts stated that the Council wished to move its home care and supported living services into a procurement framework.  The total value of these contracts was £14million per annum (£74million over 5 years, allowing for inflation).  During 2018/19,1,860 people had received support and care services commissioned by the Council and 1,320 had received the support within their own home.  Traditionally sourcing suppliers had been split between the Council and Optalis, with the majority of procurement being done by Optalis.  When the brokerage function had moved inhouse in December 2019, it had provided an opportunity to look at this area and find a better, more efficient system.  The framework would be public, on the Council’s website, and would set out the standards expected of the Council’s providers.  Charles Margetts went through some the standards that providers would be expected to meet.

Richard Dolinski emphasised the importance of supporting residents to remain independent in their own homes and the community for as long as possible, and not within residential care homes.  He highlighted the responsibilities of the local authority under the Care Act.  The Care and Support Procurement Framework would strengthen the Council’s position to deliver even better outcomes for residents.

David Hare thanked Adult Social Care Officers for their work on the report.  He felt that the framework would allow more economical commissioning of high-quality services for vulnerable adults.

Andy Croy commented that the main cost of care was staff salaries.  He expressed concern that if suppliers were squeezed in any way, this could have a negative impact on the workers.  He went on to question why the framework had not been presented to Overview and Scrutiny prior to its presentation to Council. 

Charles Margetts indicated that evidence suggested that there would not be downward pressure on carers’ wages.  The procurement framework would be publicly available on the Council’s website, but he was happy for the implementation to be scrutinised.

RESOLVED: That Council gives approval for:

1)    Officers proceeding with the Support and Care procurement, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)    Officers creating a compliant framework, from which to call off support and care packages;

3)    The Director of Adult Social Services having delegated authority to approve business cases to enter into call off agreements with successful organisations for individual or block contracts where price and quality benefits are achieved.

That full Council be recommended to approve:

1)            Officers to proceed with the Support and Care procurement, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)            Officers to create a compliant framework, from which to call off support and care packages;

3)         The Director of Adult Social Services to have delegated authority to approve business cases to enter into call off agreements with successful organisations for individual or block contracts where price and quality benefits are achieved.

The Executive considered a report relating to a proposed Support and Care Procurement Framework.  This procurement exercise would enable Adult Social Care to commission high quality, cost effective care for vulnerable adults in need of supported living or home care.

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Services advised that the Framework would formalise the process for letting contracts which would lead to competition being generated, better quality of services, forecasting and relationships with suppliers and the provision of longer contracts. 

The intention was that the Framework, which sets up a spend of £74m over five years, most of which will be on statutory care commissioned services, would be in place in the Summer 2021.  It was confirmed that the Framework would be set up to ensure that if a supplier was not performing there would be an opportunity to stop using that particular supplier.

RESOLVED that full Council be recommended to approve:

1)            Officers to proceed with the Support and Care procurement, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)            Officers to create a compliant framework, from which to call off support and care packages;

3)         The Director of Adult Social Services to have delegated authority to approve business cases to enter into call off agreements with successful organisations for individual or block contracts where price and quality benefits are achieved.