Agenda item

Report CS17033

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report setting out a proposed commissioning strategy for the future provision of Primary and Secondary Intervention Services.  The report also requested approval to develop a Primary and Secondary Intervention Fund work stream within the Better Care Fund and existing strategic partner funding, and to procure the services against the eight categories set out in the report, introducing a new delivery model from April 2017. 

Primary and Secondary Intervention services gave targeted support to vulnerable residents in the community who were at risk of developing further complications or emerging needs to support them in maintaining their independence and to delay or prevent the need for high cost care packages and early admissions to care homes or hospital.  The Local Authority and Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group had a range of statutory requirements to provide Primary and Secondary Intervention Services which were currently delivered by third sector partners through twelve active contracts with six suppliers and included peer support, training, education, advice, support planning and capacity building with carers. 

The proposed commissioning strategy had been developed with the aim of reducing the number of small individual contracts held, and to take a more strategic approach to future funding by utilising the Better Care Fund in partnership with Primary and Secondary Intervention services.  A preferred provider would be identified through a joint commissioning exercise with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group, following which the preferred provider would be required to enter a negotiated procurement process and to co-design the specifications for eight identified categories of preventative service provision, as well to build capacity over and above the core funding made available through the Better Care Fund through local voluntary sector capacity and community assets.  It was proposed to engage with the local Third Sector to encourage collegiate bids which complemented the work of the Integrated Care Networks and Building a Better Bromley priorities, and engagement would also be undertaken with service users in the development of services. 

In considering the report, a Member outlined the benefits of commissioning primary and secondary intervention services together which was likely to benefit users through provision of more holistic services as well as realise value for money. 

A Co-opted Member was concerned to note that learning and physical disabilities had been included within the same category and underlined the need for them to be treated separately to ensure that appropriate services that met the individual needs of service users were commissioned.  The Chairman requested that clarification be provided in the current budget for these two distinct areas, and that all future reports identify the funding for learning and physical disabilities as separate categories.  Another Co-opted Member expressed concern that the figures quoted in the report around the number of interactions with each supplier in the current contracts appeared to underrepresent the total number of interactions and requested that this information be checked.  The Programme Manager: Commissioning reported that the data presented was part of the current monitoring arrangements and it was important for providers to ensure that this data was accurate.  The Co-opted Member noted that third sector partners were very impressed by the work of Director: Health Integration Programme who had supported partners to work more closely together. 

In considering the recommendations, Members generally agreed that contracts should be awarded on a three year basis with the option to extend for an additional two years, rather than an additional one plus one year which made it difficult for providers to plan in the longer term.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Develop a Primary and Secondary Intervention Fund within the Better Care Fund jointly managed with Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group; and,

2)  Agree the procurement of the services against the eight categories set out in report CS17033, including for carers’ support services, using a new model from April 2017.