Decision details

Proposed decision: Approve a Direct Award Contract to Crossroads Care Kent for a period of twelve months (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) for Carers’ Short Breaks Services and delegate authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health to take relevant actions, including but not limited to finalising the terms of and entering into required contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision.

Reason for the decision: Kent County Council has a statutory responsibility under The Care Act 2014 to deliver access to support and information for unpaid Carers, older people (over 55 years) and people with complex issues/frailty (under 55 years). The council meets this duty through the provision of its Carers’ Short Breaks Services.

The Carers’ Short Breaks Service Contract commenced in April 2018, as an initial interim contract. It is currently in an extension period via a previous Decision to Direct Award. Following this decision, the contract is currently due to end on 31 March 2024. There are currently no provisions to extend this contract. The proposals for an additional one-year contract with the incumbent provider via a Direct Award, to run from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, will allow time for commissioners to ensure that any new service can be co-produced with stakeholders including people with lived experience which aligns with the Community Navigation service.

Kent County Council has recently completed significant engagement in developing and launching a new Carers’ Strategy, setting the strategic direction for Carers’ Support for the next five years. The Kent Carers’ Strategy 2022-2027 ensures a commitment to working together to ensure essential roles are valued, supported and people’s lives maintained and valued.

The proposed decision supports the New Models of Care Support priorities of ‘‘Framing Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022 – 2026’ of:

•         reshaping our commissioning practice to ensure we build strategic partnerships with our providers, through earlier engagement, more consistent and proactive commissioning practice, and a stronger focus on co-designing services

•         seizing the opportunity of integrating our planning, commissioning and decision making in adult, children’s, and public health services through being a partner in the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System at place and system level.

Options considered:

The following options were considered

·        Option 1: Direct Award the contract for 12 months

·        Option 2: Reprocure the contract within a short timeframe

·        Option 3: End the contract on 31 March 2024

In consideration of Option 3, whilst it is recognised that ending these contracts could deliver a significant saving to the Council, ending the contract was dismissed at this point for the following reasons:

·        Loss of current support to vulnerable people at a time when other services are being reduced financially.

·        People accessing the contract may fall into crisis resulting in a high financial pressure on Kent County Council operational services (negates possible benefit of saving on the contract value)

·        Increased isolation and loneliness to unpaid Carers.

·        Statutory duties non-compliance under the Care Act 2014.

Reprocuring within a short timeframe was dismissed, owing to a lack of clarity as to funding in the present financial climate, long term Integrated Care Board (ICB) funding sustainability, current workforce implications, and the additional pressures on Adults Strategic Commissioning resource.

A Direct Award to the incumbent provider, is the recommended option. This will allow the outcomes of the Kent Carers’ Strategy to be embedded within the future service design, whilst keeping consistency of service for unpaid carers in the interim. It will also allow the opportunity to understand the performance and trends of the contract to better inform and scope the design and recommissioning of the service in a truly co-produced way. The Direct Award will be made in accordance with stipulations within Regulation 32 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I

a) APPROVE a Direct Award Contract to Crossroads Care Kent for a period of twelve months (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) for Carers’ Short Breaks Services; and

b) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health to take relevant actions, including but not limited to finalising the terms of and entering into required contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision.