Issue - meetings

Approval to reprocure Domiciliary Care services and Residential Care

Meeting: 12/12/2024 - Cabinet (Item 4)

4 Approval to reprocure Home Care services and Residential Care pdf icon PDF 394 KB

A report seeking approval to tender Home Care and Residential Care Services and to enter into relevant contracts for the procurement and provision of Domiciliary Care and Residential Care services on acceptable terms and conditions.

 

Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Councillor Margaret Bell

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Margaret Bell introduced the report which requested approval to commence procurement of Domiciliary Care (Care at Home) and Residential Care (Care for Older People, Disabilities and Mental Health) Services. 

 

Councillor Bell outlined the current position relating to contracts with providers for both Domiciliary Care and Residential Care, which were due to end on 31 October 2025 and 31 August 2026, respectively.

 

Councillor Bell gave further detail on what each service provided with Residential Care delivering 24 hour, 7 days a week care to adults.  Domiciliary Care, often known as Care at Home, supporting some of the County’s most frail and vulnerable citizens to receive care at home.  The aim for both contracts was to seek and initial five-year term with the option to extend for a further five years.  The Council would have the right to terminate or amend contracts if required. 

 

Councillor Bell advised that the ICB had agreed to work with the Council to procure jointly using a single procurement vehicle whilst being mindful of new regulations which made this challenging.  The Community Recovery Services, which assisted patients being discharged from hospital, was also referred to as this utilised the Domiciliary Care contract to source that service as well.  Councillor Bell signposted Members to the financial projections on pages 98 and 99 of the report and advised that this approach and been discussed with finance and legal colleagues.

 

Councillor John Holland asked if there was merit in undertaking a scrutiny review, prior to going out to tender and asked if working with the ICB could offer up opportunities to improve integration with NHS care.

 

Councillor Roodhouse referred to the funding which had been discussed at a recent Health and Wellbeing Board meeting and the challenges being experienced at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire.  He also raised concerns about increasing market costs for residential care and nursing care, which were difficult to control or plan for.  He agreed that there may be a role for scrutiny to monitor progress.

 

Councillor Bell gave assurances that scrutiny were involved and would continue to be.  It was important for the Council to work with the ICB and continue ongoing discussions around health.  She also clarified that the Community Recovery Service (CRS) had been overspent this year, noting that this was not Council owned, but held on behalf of the system.  The criteria for the CRS was being looked at to try and make it clearer.  In relation to the residential care market, Councillor Bell recognised that this was difficult to manage but a lot of work was being undertaken to try to meet cost pressures.

 

Councillor Bell outlined the recommendations on page 95.

 

Resolved

 

That Cabinet

 

1)    authorises the Executive Director for Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, to commence procurement of Domiciliary Care (Care at Home) and Residential Care (Care Homes for Older People, Disabilities and Mental Health) Services and to enter into any agreements necessary to implement the services on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4