Agenda item

The Commission is invited to discuss how this review can be progressed.

Members were reminded that the Director for Care Services and Commissioning (Adult Social Care) had circulated a report before the meeting providing a response to a number of questions previously raised by the Commission in relation to the procurement of Adult Social Care Domiciliary Care services.

During discussion on this report, the Commission expressed concern that Members needed to understand what the implications of the responses were, but this was difficult when information on the key issues was not available, (for example, the number of contractual hours, core times, the specification for the service, how this was responded to, which organisations responded and which organisations the successful tenders were from).  In reply, the Head of Contracts and Assurance explained that these details were available through hyper-links in the report, but offered to circulate it to Members.

In response to questions from the Commission, it was noted that:-

·           Six new contractors had been awarded contracts for Generic Domiciliary Support Services;

·           In order to maintain controlled management of providers, a reserve list of providers had been compiled.  Therefore, if one of the main providers was unable to provide the package of work awarded, one of the providers on the reserve list could be used;

·           The percentage scores from each mandatory section of the tender document were totalled for each bidder.  Quality was then weighted at 80%.  A test also was completed by each bidder;

·           There would be a new provider of Extra Care Services at Danbury Gardens, (for example, housing, landlord services, or domiciliary care).  Staff employed by the current provider of these services, (Direct Care), would transfer to the new provider (Care UK) under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.  As with other services, a reserve provider had been identified;

·           The Commission had concerns that the Extra Care Services at Danbury Gardens had been identified as a centre of excellence, but the current provider had lost the contract.  However, it was noted that the staff who provided the service to users would transfer to the new provider;

·           More information was needed on why the providers selected were chosen and how close other bidders had come to being awarded contracts;

·           New service providers would be willing to come to a Commission meeting to answer questions if Members wished;

·           The minimum time to be allocated to each visit was now 30 minutes, but many service users would have much longer visits.  The change from a minimum 15 minute visit was endorsed by the Commission;

·           It was recognised that carers were delivering sensitive and intimate personal care, but it was suggested that it would be beneficial for the Chair of this Commission to accompany a carer for a day, if possible.  This would enable her to observe their activities and/or the time taken on visits and travelling, and to obtain feedback from the carer on their work;

·           Some service users received direct payments, so could choose whether to use Council provided services or private care providers; and

·           Service specifications were compiled based on the requirements of the Regulator and of the Council.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the scoping document for the review of Domiciliary Care be included in the agenda for the next meeting of this Commission;

2)    That an anonymised score matrix of tenders for each Domiciliary Care service type be presented to the next meeting of this Commission;

3)    That an anonymised example of a care plan be presented to the next meeting of this Commission, showing the kind of activities that can take place during a visit and the number of carers involved;

4)    That enquiries be made to determine whether it will be feasible for the Chair of the Commission to accompany a carer for a day; and

5)    That details of the number of service users using Council-provided care and the number purchasing care from private providers be presented to the next meeting of this Commission.