Report CS18181

The Committee considered a report providing details of the existing contract for the Mental Health Flexible Support Service which was due to expire on 30^th September 2019, with no further options to extend.  There was a need to explore procurement options to determine how the current and future needs of people requiring flexible mental health support within the community would be met from 1^st October 2019 and the approval of the Council’s Executive was sought to commence the procurement of this service in alignment with the Local Authority’s Commissioning Plan and the Joint CCG Mental Health Strategy.

The current Mental Health Flexible Support Service was a specialist service that supported adults with mental ill health to live independently within the community, reducing their reliance on hospital and residential care.  This service enabled the Local Authority to meet its duties under the Care Act 2014 to support people with mental ill health to remain living within the community as well as to be compliant with requirements in the Mental Health Act 1983, relating to hospital discharges.  The key objective of the service was to provide an effective, timely and flexible response to the needs of mental health service users to enable their rehabilitation and well-being.  A range of options had been developed for the future delivery of this service, and it was proposed that Mental Health Flexible Support Service be tendered on a part-fixed (block) basis with one provider with the option to purchase additional hours at a rate stated within the bid.

In considering the report, Members discussed the options for the future delivery of the Mental Health Flexible Support Service and generally agreed that Option 1: Develop a Framework of Providers was the Committee’s preferred option, and that this should include out-of-Borough providers and potential cross-Borough working with other local authorities.  Another Member suggested that consideration be given to in-house delivery by the Local Authority, particularly as there were limited providers of this specialist type of support in Bromley.  The Director: Adult Social Care advised that as a commissioning authority, the Local Authority would not normally take over the delivery of a service except where a provider was identified as putting service users at risk, and that the Local Authority did not have the infrastructure in place to deliver this type of service.  A Member emphasised the importance of building good relationships with social landlords to ensure that the housing needs of people with mental health needs were met.

A Member highlighted the timescales for the new contract that was due to commence from 1^st October 2019, and requested that the Adult Care and Health PDS Committee be provided with regular updates on the service specification and procurement process.  Where there were any proposals to continue with current arrangements, it was important for Members to be provided with detailed information on the quality of existing services, including the outcomes for service users.  The Director: Adult Social Care confirmed that the tender submissions would be rigorously scrutinised throughout the procurement process, and that regular progress reports would be provided to the Adult Care and Health PDS Committee via the update from the Chief Executive and Executive Director: Education, Care and Health Services.  The Portfolio Holder for Adult, Care and Health suggested that it might be useful to consult with the Portfolio Holder for Resources, Commissioning and Contracts.

The Strategic Commissioner noted that the tender process was due to begin in March 2019, by which time the final service specification for the Mental Health Flexible Support Service would need to have been agreed.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Approve the tendering of the Mental Health Flexible Support service on the basis of Option 1 (Develop a framework of providers as detailed at Paragraph 4.2.2) to meet the current and future needs of people requiring flexible mental health support within the community, aligned with the LBB Commissioning Plan and the Joint CCG Mental Health Strategy; and,

2)  Approve that, in the event a part fixed (block) / part variable hours’ basis with one provider (Option 3 as detailed at Paragraph 4.2.4) is established through market engagement activity as the best option, the decision to procure be delegated to the Chief Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder.