Issue - items at meetings - Permission to Tender for Home Care

Report of Executive Director of Adults’ Services together with an extract from the proceedings of the Health & Wellbeing Board meeting held on 2 February 2016 (copies attached).

1)           That the Committee agree to commence a tender process leading to the award of home care contracts to suitably qualified providers who are able to demonstrate that they can provide  value for money, effective from September 2016 for a duration of five years, with provision for a further extension of up to two years, as outlined in this Paper;

2)           That the Committee to grant delegated  authority to the Executive Director of Adult Services to approve the award of contracts, following the conclusion of the procurement process;

148.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Adults’ Services in relation to Permission to Tender for Home Care. The report outlined the recommendations for the new home care (domiciliary) contact; this was a joint contract between the Council and the NHS Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group. The Committee also noted that the report had been considered by the Health & Wellbeing Board on 2 February; the content of that consideration was included in the associated extract from the meeting.

148.2    Councillor A. Norman welcomed the report on the basis it would create value for money and help to stimulate the local home care market; she also welcomed the approach as a solution to the issue of 15 minute visits. The commitment to pay a living wage would also help improve continuity of the service as service users generally preferred their carer to stay the same as much as possible.

148.3    In response to Councillor Mac Cafferty it was explained that the use of an electronic care monitoring system allowed a greater understanding of who delivered the care to individuals, and there were compliance figures and targets that could be monitored through this data gathering. Monitoring on quality was also undertaken through a contracted independent assessor scheme who compiled reports for the Policy Team to consider; there was also sharing of information with the CQC and the Housing Service.

148.4    Councillor Meadows noted that the report had been considered by the Procurement Advisory Board and they had been impressed with the proposed value for money, social value and flexibility of the dynamic purchasing process. Councillor Meadows commended the report to the Committee.

148.5    The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

148.6    RESOLVED:

1)     That the Committee agree to commence a tender process leading to the award of home care contracts to suitably qualified providers who are able to demonstrate that they can provide  value for money, effective from September 2016 for a duration of five years, with provision for a further extension of up to two years, as outlined in this Paper;

2)     That the Committee to grant delegated  authority to the Executive Director of Adult Services to approve the award of contracts, following the conclusion of the procurement process.