Issue - meetings

That:

1)     The proposal to transfer service provision from existing care services at Suffolk Lodge to the new dementia care home at Toutley East, and delegates authority to the Director of Adult Social Care and the Director of Resources and Assets, jointly, in consultation with the Executive Members for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Services and the Executive Member for Finance, to make any changes necessary to the contract between Wokingham Borough Council and Optalis Ltd to give effect to this change in service, up to a value of £2m per annum be noted;

2)     Authority jointly to the Director of Adult Services and the Director of Resources and Assets to increase the value of the care contract in place with Wokingham Borough Council’s Local Authority Traded Company (Optalis Limited), by way of contract variation, up to the value of circa £4m, subject to inflationary increases, to deliver the staffing requirements for the care home, be delegated, that in each case:

a)    the budget for the costs of the services has already been approved as part of the agreed Council Budget;

b)    the business case has been approved by both Directors;

c)    the Executive Member with responsibility for Adult Services and the Executive Member with responsibility for Finance have been consulted.

3)     The procurement strategy set out in the Procurement Business case for the construction consultants and contractor required for the development of the new dementia care home and associated works; and delegates authority to the Director of Resources and Assets, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, to implement and/or adapt this strategy within the approved budget be approved.

(Councillor David Hare declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item, he left the room and did not take part in the discussions or vote.)

The Executive considered a report which outlined details of proposal for a new dementia care home and residential development of up to 130 residential units and supporting infrastructure.

Councillor Clive Jones explained that the report sought the approval of the procurement process for the new dementia care home in Toutley.  Optalis would continue to be the provider, however a new contract with Optalis was required as the new home would be larger than Suffolk Lodge.  The current financial modelling predicted that the new care home would deliver around £377k per annum worth of financial efficiencies by 2025.  The reforms within Adult Social Care however, were likely to increase the potential saving from this scheme.  It was therefore envisaged that that care home would support the delivery of additional cost avoidance in the region of £700k per year.

Councillor Clive Jones informed that the Council was starting to look at potential sites for a second care home.

Councillor Imogen Shepherd-DuBey stated that most of the people living care homes in Wokingham were in private care homes.  She informed that under the new Adult Social Care reforms, the Council would be required to start assessing those people for their care needs and subsequently be expected to start covering the care costs when they reached the threshold of £86k.  So, in order to manage these costs, care places would have to be offered in Council run care homes.  Having Council run care homes would be the only way to manage the cost of care going forward, therefore she supported this proposal.

RESOLVED That:

1)     The proposal to transfer service provision from existing care services at Suffolk Lodge to the new dementia care home at Toutley East, and delegates authority to the Director of Adult Social Care and the Director of Resources and Assets, jointly, in consultation with the Executive Members for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Services and the Executive Member for Finance, to make any changes necessary to the contract between Wokingham Borough Council and Optalis Ltd to give effect to this change in service, up to a value of £2m per annum be noted;

2)     Authority jointly to the Director of Adult Services and the Director of Resources and Assets to increase the value of the care contract in place with Wokingham Borough Council’s Local Authority Traded Company (Optalis Limited), by way of contract variation, up to the value of circa £4m, subject to inflationary increases, to deliver the staffing requirements for the care home, be delegated, that in each case:

a)    the budget for the costs of the services has already been approved as part of the agreed Council Budget;

b)    the business case has been approved by both Directors;

c)    the Executive Member with responsibility for Adult Services and the Executive Member with responsibility for Finance have been consulted.

3)     The procurement strategy set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25