Issue details

Proposed decision

Approve the commissioning of a Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs and approve a three-month extension to the current Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs contract

Reason for Decision

Wellbeing Services are commissioned services which aim to help people take a proactive approach to their health and wellbeing, increase independence, and prevent, reduce or delay the need for additional care and support services. These services form part of Kent County Council’s (KCC) broader approach to prevention.

The Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs supports people who are aged 18 and over with a sensory impairment, including people who are blind and/or deaf, including people that use British Sign Language (BSL). The services provide information and advice, equipment and training and rehabilitation. 

The proposal to recommission the Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs separately from the other Community Wellbeing Service contracts allows for a standalone arrangement providing greater assurance that these specialist requirements remain visible, prioritised and appropriately resourced with the specialist expertise in visual impairment rehabilitation, Deaf BSL support, hearing loss support and Deafblind services.

The current Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs contract expires on 31 March 2027, with no further extension options available. The proposal for a three-month extension (1 April 2027 to 30 June 2027) with the new service delivery commencing from July 2027. The extension will allow for procurement and mobilisation of the new service whilst maintaining service continuity.

Background

The Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs will support wellbeing and independence. This is achieved by, including but not limited to: peer groups, physical activities, providing information (e.g. about support in the local community and how to manage money and benefits), supporting people to live safely in their own home, and supporting individuals to access and use relevant technology where appropriate. There is also recognition of the different levels of intensity, duration and specialist skill required for visual impairment rehabilitation, hearing loss support, Deaf BSL provision, Deafblind assessment and community-based support for people with combined or complex sensory needs. 

The provider will maintain the Vision Impairment Register on behalf of KCC, supporting the Council to meet its statutory duty under Section 77 of the Care Act 2014.

These services are part of Kent County Council’s (KCC) broader approach to preventing, reducing and delaying the need for care and support.

The service supported approximately 25,347 Kent residents in 2025/26 and provides a key element of Kent County Council's wider prevention offer for adults with sensory impairments.

The recommissioning does not propose any reduction in eligibility, access or availability of support for current or future people accessing the service.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Option 1 Do nothing / allow contract to expire

This would risk non-compliance with the Council’s statutory or organisational duties, resulting in an immediate loss of provision as well having a significant impact on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

Option 2 Bring service in-house

While an in-house offer could provide greater direct control, it would require significant investment, workforce recruitment, infrastructure and operational capacity. This option would carry a high financial and resource burden and would not offer the flexibility or value for money required at scale.

Option 3 Re-procure and bring the sensory wellbeing service into a single contract with other wellbeing services (55+, dementia and physical disability).

Whilst this option could reduce potential duplication and support consistency for people accessing wellbeing services, there is a risk that specialist sensory needs and expertise could be diluted within a broader wellbeing model.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The proposed decision supports the ambitions set out in Reforming Kent 2025–28 by helping residents live healthy, independent and fulfilling lives within their communities and supporting the Council’s commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable residents by ensuring continued access to specialist support for people who are blind, partially sighted, Deaf, Deafblind or living with hearing loss.

It also supports the Council's Prevention Framework by helping to prevent, reduce or delay the development of needs for care and support, reducing reliance on more intensive statutory services wherever possible by providing early intervention and preventative support enabling people to maintain independence, build resilience and remain connected to their local communities.

By investing in preventative services, the Council aims to improve wellbeing, reduce social isolation, support community participation and deliver value for money through earlier intervention and reduced demand for higher-cost services.

Financial Implications

The proposed cost of recommissioning the Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs is £1.03m per annum. The contract will be awarded for an initial period of two years, with options to extend for two further periods of one year each, providing flexibility in response to Local Government Reorganisation. The lifetime value of the contract (2 years plus extensions) would be approximately £4.12m. This is within the Medium Term Financial Plan.

The cost of the three-month extension (1 April 2027 to 30 June 2027) of the current Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs contract will be £257,500, which is within the allocated budget.

Should additional external funding become available within the lifetime of this decision, it is proposed that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and the Section 151 Officer, to accept and deploy such funding to enhance the approved service.

Legal Implications

The Council has statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 to promote individual wellbeing and to take steps to prevent, reduce or delay the development of needs for care and support. The Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs contributes to the discharge of these duties by providing preventative support which helps people maintain independence and wellbeing.

The Council also has a duty to consider the sustainability of the care and support market when exercising its functions under the Care Act 2014. The proposed commissioning approach seeks to support a sustainable Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) market whilst securing value for money and continuity of preventative services for Kent residents.

The Council also has a specific duty under Section 77 of the Care Act 2014 to establish and maintain a register of adults who are sight impaired or severely sight impaired. The commissioned service will maintain the Vision Impairment Register on behalf of Kent County Council supporting compliance with this statutory requirement.

The proposed three-month extension to the current Community Wellbeing Service for Adults with Sensory Needs will be undertaken in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 to support procurement and mobilisation of the new service. The subsequent recommissioning of the service will be undertaken in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, with appropriate procurement and legal support to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.