Issue - meetings

Report CS17078

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining the provision of a respite service for carers and requesting approval to award a six month contract to Carers Bromley pending the outcome of the tender process for the Primary and Secondary Intervention Service.

A respite service for carers which comprised carers’ breaks, a sitting service and a Respite Manager was commissioned from Carers Bromley in 2010 with the aim of supporting carers to maintain their health and wellbeing and prevent the breakdown of informal care arrangements.  At its meeting on 14^th October 2015, the Council’s Executive agreed that a Framework be established by which future respite services of any type would be purchased.  Soft market testing of this procurement strategy subsequently indicated that a Framework would be unattractive to providers due to the lack of sufficient volumes, and a review of the respite service for carers had identified that it was only being used by a small cohort of carers and did not offer value for money.  It was proposed to discontinue this service and, following negotiations with Carers Bromley, it had been agreed that existing bookings for carers’ breaks would be honoured with this element of the service ending in December 2016 and that from January 2017, the Respite Manager’s post would reduce by 15 hours per week and would focus on developing the sitting service and increasing its capacity to demonstrate improved value for money.  The proposed award of contract for a period of six months would bridge the gap between the services from 1^st October 2016 and the new Primary and Secondary Intervention Service beginning on 1^st April 2017, and ensure that there was respite in place for carers in line with the Care Act 2014. 

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to approve the award of a contract from Carers Respite Service to Carers Bromley for a period of six months commencing on 1^st October 2016 and expiring on 31^st March 2017.