Cabinet considered the report regarding the provision of domiciliary care.

The Chairman informed that the current adult social care contracts for the provision of domiciliary care to individuals living in the Borough, expire in August 2022. The report highlighted the tender process and recommendations from officers.  It also included recommendations from a member Task and Finish Group from the Adult, Children and Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

The council tendered for domiciliary care in January 2022 using a Dynamic Purchasing System; this model enables the council to approve new providers throughout the lifetime of the five-year contract, which has the option to be extended for a further two years. The contract is set at a fixed price of £19.40 per hour, pro-rated for part hours; this price was benchmarked with other local councils. The model of support within the specification focusses on reablement, using a strengths-based approach, to maximise people’s independence.

The proposal supports the objective within the Corporate Plan 2021-2026; “Thriving Communities” and the Lead Member thanked Councillor Coppinger for all his work when he was Lead Member introducing this process. 

The Chairman informed that since the report had been published one of the providers ratings had dropped bellow what was acceptable by the tender process and so they had been removed.  He also thanked members of the O&S Panel for their work and recommendations, other members who had participated and officers.

The Lead Member for Environmental Services, Parks and Countryside and Maidenhead thanked the Lead Member for his comments regarding his role in helping improve domiciliary care.  This was a very important contract that provided important care to help support independence. 

The Lead Member for Asset Management and Commercialisation, Finance, and Ascot said he welcomed the report and that al usual reports from that service always gave an insight into the work of the service area.  He approved that they only worked with qualified providers and that there was a fixed price. 

Cllr Hunt thanked officers and members who had participated in the Task and Finish Group, she welcomed that their recommendations had been included in the Cabinet report and looked forward to them being accepted.

Resolved unanimously:  that Cabinet notes the report, and:

i)               Approves the proposed contracting model to use a Dynamic Purchasing System for domiciliary care for a period of five years with an option to extend for a further two years.

ii)              Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Adults, Health and Housing to award contracts, starting on 1st August 2022, to those providers who successfully completed the tender process, using the Dynamic Purchasing System and to other providers meeting the criteria throughout the lifetime of the contract.

iii)             Notes the recommendations made by the member Task and Finish group, namely

·   That Cabinet approve the recommendations in the report to award the contracts to the providers that met the criteria of the tender.

·   That Optalis ensure at all stages – during the care planning process, the start of the care package and during reviews - that people are aware that they can request a change of provider at any point for any reason.

·   That the Task and Finish Group’s thanks to officers supporting the process is noted.