Issue - meetings

RESOLVED: Cabinet;

a)    Noted legislative and policy requirements introduced by Government in relation to the Social Care Charging Reforms and Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund.

b)    Delegated to the Executive Director for Adults Communities and Wellbeing the decision (subject to the Contract Procedure Rules) to extend the current Care Home Service DPS framework for a period of 8-months.

c)    Noted that a formal engagement and consultation exercise would be conducted with the provider market on the findings of the care home cost review.

d)    Noted that a further report would come to Cabinet in September 2022, which will set out the proposed commissioning intentions for securing future residential and nursing care service supply.

REASONS RESOLVED:

·         To enable West Northamptonshire Council’s to meet the latest changes to the statutory requirements originally set out in the Care Act 2014.

·         To support the development of a sustainable care market as required by the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund.

·         To maintain purchasing arrangements for the supply of residential and nursing care services for older people.

·         To meet the needs and demands of residents in relation to care and support including people who self-fund their care.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

·         Option 1 (recommended) – Extend the current contract to enable alignment of commissioning strategy and activity with requirements of the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund including market-wide engagement and consultation on how to develop the care market in response to the social care reforms.

·         Option 2 (Not recommended) – Proceed with commissioning and procurement activity to put new contract arrangements in place by September 2022 and respond separately to the social care reforms including assessment of care costs and sustainability planning through existing provider engagement activities.

At the Chair’s invitation councillors made the following comments on the report, which had been previously circulated.

• It was noted that this was a difficult area to recruit in, this lack of staff had an adverse effect on discharging care home residents from hospital.
• Could the council bring some of the care homes back in house?
• It was advised that working on an ethical care charter was important.
• More scrutiny was required on this due to the amount of legislative change that had occurred.

Councillor Matt Golby then presented the report and made the following comments.

• The report would come back to cabinet again later in the year.
• The Cabinet would need to look at the Ethical Care Charter to decide as to whether to join.
• It was important to do the best thing for the residents.

The Executive Director for Adults, Communities and Wellbeing added that it was important to deal with the current recruitment crisis. It was confirmed that WNC ran 8 residential care homes in the region.

RESOLVED: Cabinet.

a)    Noted legislative and policy requirements introduced by Government in relation to the Social Care Charging Reforms and Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund.

b)   Delegated to the Executive Director for Adults Communities and Wellbeing the decision (subject to the Contract Procedure Rules) to extend the current Care Home Service DPS framework for a period of 8-months.

c)    Noted that a formal engagement and consultation exercise would be conducted with the provider market on the findings of the care home cost review.

d)   Noted that a further report would come to Cabinet in September 2022, which will set out the proposed commissioning intentions for securing future residential and nursing care service supply.