Health and social work services

Tender description

Hertfordshire County Council (the ‘Council’) is carrying out pre-procurement market engagement in relation to the Shared Lives Transforming Care (TC) Pilot. The Hertfordshire Transforming Care Partnership is interested in developing a bespoke Hertfordshire Shared Lives Transforming Care (TC) pilot scheme (Services) to support people with Learning Disabilities who are currently part of the TC programme. The Provider contracted to manage the Services, will be expected to recruit and assess new Shared Lives (SL) Carers to provide care, support and accommodation (in the SL Carer's own home) or to provide care and support (in the Service User's own home) for people with complex needs. The Provider will match SL Carers to Service Users who have complex needs. It is anticipated that SL Carers recruited for this pilot scheme will be paid at an enhanced rate above that of the mainstream Shared Lives scheme. All Service Users are referred by the Council's Transforming Care Operational Teams. It is anticipated that the Provider would be required to work collaboratively with the Council to continually improve and maintain quality care services. The Provider will recruit SL Carers to provide accommodation, care and support placements for a variety of ‘vulnerable people’ across Hertfordshire. The length of each placement will be determined by Health and Community Services (HCS) in accordance with the Service User's needs. The Provider will look to recruit SL Carers across Hertfordshire and conduct a thorough assessment of potential carers, who can offer appropriate home condition standards. The Provider will undertake enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults (SOVA) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) checks, obtain suitable character references and health and social services checks. The aim is for the Council and the Provider to establish a collaborative working relationship which is underpinned by continuous improvement (i.e. to enable robust business planning and to ensure the overall success of the Services. The Services that are being proposed for a small number of Service Users are the development of: 1) Emergency Short Stay Placements These placements will offer carers a break where the situation in the home could otherwise lead to a crisis and consequently a potential hospital admission. By offering an alternative mechanism for intensive support and positive intervention, hospital admissions could in many cases be avoided. 2) Community Engagement For those that are already in hospital, support will be available in accordance with Section 17 of the Mental Health Act to enable people to have the opportunity for day release e.g. up to 6 hours per day in order to engage in community activities prior to hospital discharge. As many of those currently awaiting discharge will be returning to their family home, the Services will offer individuals the opportunity to experience a home environment from which the provision of meaningful day time activities can take place. In addition to those that are awaiting hospital discharge, the Services will assist adults currently residing in long stay health settings/specialist residential services to enable them to participate in activities within their local community. The purpose of the Council's Pre-Procurement Market Engagement Process (PPME) is to allow and enable potentially interested organisations with appropriate expertise and relevant experience to: — Outline and generate initial views/ideas around the outcomes, scope and the potential procurement strategy (i.e. with no commitment to themselves or the Council). — Engage with the Council to understand its challenges, intentions and desired Outcomes. — Inform the Council of current market developments. — Enable the Council to understand how the current requirements could be shaped and delivered. The Council will consider the feedback and responses received to help inform the Council's options and further decision making. For the avoidance of doubt, this stage of the project is not part of a formal procurement process and the Council is not committing, at this stage, to carrying out such a process. Participation or non-participation in the pre-procurement market engagement process shall not prevent any supplier participating in a potential future procurement, nor is it intended that any information supplied as part of the pre-procurement process shall place any supplier at an advantage in a potential procurement process. Participation in the pre-procurement market engagement procurement process will be at each supplier's own cost. No expense in responding to this process will be reimbursed by the Council. The Council will not enter into a contract based solely on the responses to this PIN and no information contained in the documents or in any communication made between the Council and any contractor in connection with its pre-procurement market engagement shall be relied upon as constituting a contract, agreement or representation that any contract shall be awarded. This pre-procurement market engagement process will comprise: Submission of the Provider Questionnaire (please see Appendix A of the pre-procurement market engagement documentation) following the instructions detailed in Section VI.2 below. Provider Questionnaires must be received by 12:00 on 7.2.2017.