Social Care Framework - Draft Commissioning Strategy

Overview

Birmingham City Council wants to know what you think about some proposals for changes to the way we buy and allocate (also referred to as commissioning) adult social care packages and how independent care providers are managed.

The Council currently commissions a wide range of care and support services through two framework contracts; for adult social care and children’s home support.

The Council uses these framework contracts to buy; home support services for adults and children; residential care (with and without nursing) for all adults over 65 with assessed eligible care and support needs; and in some cases care and support in a supported living setting. 

The current framework agreement is not at present used to commission residential services (with and without nursing) for adults aged 18 - 64.  However, we are now consulting upon a strategy that would see social care services for adults’ aged 18 - 64, move from the current arrangements of purchasing as and when needed, into a new framework agreement from 1 April 2018 with all care providers being quality checked. It is also not consistently used to commission supported living services for all ages, which again are proposed for inclusion in the new arrangements from April 2018.

The documents attached below in the ‘Related’ section includes a summary of the Draft Commissioning Strategy that was presented to the Council’s Cabinet on 21 March 2017.

You will need to use these documents and the following supporting information to help you answer the consultation questionnaire:

• A copy of the report presented to the Council’s Cabinet on 21 March 2017 including the Draft Commissioning Strategy (by following the link to the Council’s website below).
• A copy of the Council’s ‘Pricing Proposals’ for adult social care (including children’s home support) from 1 April 2018.
• A copy of the Council’s proposed ‘Quality Framework’ and associated inspection toolkits/quality assurance statements.  This includes a copy of the Council’s proposed ‘Entry Criteria’ onto the new framework contract from 1 April 2018.

Why your views matter

Since summer 2016, the Council has been reviewing current practice in relation to the services described above.  This has included early engagement with the independent provider market, as well as a range of internal and external partners, to review both the original business case for the introduction of a framework approach and also best practice.

Whilst the current framework agreement has allowed the Council to move away from more traditional delivery approaches and provide some structure to the market to allow it to develop, it has not met all of the Council’s reasons for change and the needs of the social care provider market. 

Further development is therefore required to ensure adult social care services remain fit for purpose as part of the wider health and social care system.

The consultation events for citizens and providers are in documents attached below (in the related section) if you would like to book onto an event to share your thoughts and views.

What happens next

Results will be analysed and presented to Cabinet in September 2017 and findings will be published on Be-heard.