SLC - Provision of a Care at Home and Housing Support Service

Tender description

Care at Home services assist the supported person to live as independently as possible at home through the provision of personal and non-personal care and support. The Council currently provides or commissions over 35,000 hours of Care at Home for adults and older people each week, with 30% of Care at Home provided in-house and 70% carried out by external Care at Home providers. The need for services is expected to increase in line with the growing needs of an ageing population. Our existing Care at Home Framework expires in June 2024 with no further extension option. To ensure the continued resilience of Care at Home service provision, we will require suitable providers to continue to support our existing internal provision, across the South Lanarkshire region. It is anticipated the new contract will be a Procured Services Arrangement (PSA), to allow flexibility of supply from multiple providers, and is expected to commence from Spring 2024. The PSA is expected to last between 10 and 15 years. PROPOSED MODEL The Council currently calls-on Care at Home services on a case by case basis. Existing service providers therefore have a mixture of cases which are new to Care at Home, and others who have been existing users with the Council or other Care at Home providers. Supporting individuals to maximise their independence, choice and control while remaining at home is a priority of South Lanarkshire Council and its health and social care partners. Key to this is supporting individuals to return home with appropriate supports following an admission to hospital and to support others to remain at home as independently as possible through responsive services that meet individual need and avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital. The Council is in the process of implementing a new Home First service across South Lanarkshire. These, new integrated team’s, co-ordinate and promote a ‘Home First’ reablement and rehabilitation approach through ongoing assessment of need following discharge from hospital or a community referral. By doing so we aim to maximise the opportunities and outcomes for individuals and support people to live independently at home with choice and control. Once fully established most service users requiring a Care at Home and Housing Support Service will be initially supported by the Home First service, for a period of up to 6 weeks. This will provide an opportunity to maximise the individual’s independence and confirm their ongoing care and support needs. Should there be a need for ongoing support, services would then be sought from both the in-house Care at Home service and from externally commissioned providers. The Council therefore requires Providers who will be responsive to the needs of Supported Persons, who can work with the Council on a collaborative basis to ensure a smooth transfer of Care at Home and Housing Support provision from the Council to the Provider for the benefit of Supported Persons