Agenda item

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to agree to continue, for some contracted providers, service provision on the existing terms and conditions through to 31 May 2019, and, for other contracted providers, where mutual negotiation can be agreed, to award varied interim contracts through to 31 May 2019.

1.            Mr Lobban introduced the report and explained that, although the two services covered in this and the next agenda item were parts of a larger programme of community service delivery, the proposed treatment of the two services would require separate key decisions. He set out the main issues affecting the delivery of home care services nationally, including workforce issues (staff terms and conditions, travel to clients and competition from other local employers), and the need to integrate and align social care and NHS services.  These issues had prompted a review of the way in which the services were to be delivered.  The current proposals were part of phase three of the County Council’s transformation programme, and would be helped by the additional funding made available nationally to support social care services.  It was proposed that the County Council continue to contract with its current providers until May 2019, at which time the re-modelled services would be ready to re-tender. This delay would allow time to tackle the workforce issues.

2.            Mr Lobban, Mr Ireland and Mrs Tidmarsh then responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following:-

a)    a view was expressed that, as part of a sustainable employment market, zero-hour contracts were a welcome choice for some workers, and so should be offered as an option, alongside full-time and permanent contracts.  Mr Lobban reiterated that the current plans allowed for workforce issues to be examined as a whole.  This would present a challenge but would bring long-term benefits; 

b)    in response to a question about how the home care market could tackle the issue of many older people being lonely rather than being in need of any specific care services, Mr Lobban explained that this could be addressed when reviewing the provision of Domiciliary  Care as part of the service re-model. Applying national trends, it had been estimated that, in Kent, some 30,000 older people were isolated from neighbours and family, and establishing initiatives to help them keep in touch was an important area of work.  Mr Ireland added that the Care Act of 2014 had broadened the definition of ‘eligible needs’ to include emotional as well as practical needs;

c)    the need to achieve consistency of care was emphasised, so an older person would know whom to expect to arrive at their home and would be able to build a rapport with that person;

d)    the extent of  work invested in innovating and finding the best model of care provision was acknowledged, but concern expressed that the delay in finalising NHS Sustainability Transformation Plans (STPs) would mean they would not be as helpful as they could be in supporting this agenda;

e)    in response to a question about the danger of contractors being unable to fulfil their contractual obligations, and what would happen in this instance, Mr Ireland explained that the ultimate responsibility to provide services for those who needed them rested with the County Council, and if a contractor were to default on a contract or go out of business, it would fall to the County Council to provide suitable services.  Mr Lobban added that current providers had worked with the County Council for many years, and had a good understanding of needs and a good working relationship with the Council.  However, the capacity of providers to meet increasing demand could sometimes be a problem, and it might be necessary from time to time to supplement contracts by spot-purchasing.  Mrs Tidmarsh added that the County Council was working with the Kent Integrated Care Alliance and Skills For Care, and liaising with local colleges,  to address the workforce issues;

f)     in response to a question about a pilot scheme currently running in Canterbury, Mr Lobban explained that this would be of multi-disciplinary teams and would involve 100 service users, and would look at how best to integrate health and social care services; and

g)    it was suggested that a way to raise the profile of caring as a profession would be to instigate an ‘employee of the month’ scheme. Mr Lobban confirmed that such a scheme had been discussed at a recent Kent Integrated Care Alliance conference, and that the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care had agreed that the County Council could sponsor an award.

3.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, to:-

a)    agree to continue, for some contracted providers, service provision on the existing terms and conditions through to 31 May 2019, and, for other contracted providers, where mutual negotiation can be agreed, to award varied interim contracts through to 31 May 2019;

b)    delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, or other nominated officer, to undertake the necessary actions to implement the decision; and

c)    authorise officers to commence market engagement in readiness for the full procurement process, where required,

be endorsed.