Agenda item

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - People

Cabinet agreed

1)    To approve the proposal to deliver the HomeFirst service under a single provider – Reablement Wiltshire.

2)    To give ‘in principle’ agreement to commit Better Care Funding of £9,235,123 to the ICB Community Health Contract from 2025-2032 (with a potential for a further 2 years to 2034). Formal commitment is dependent on a revised and agreed S.75 Agreement (Health and Social Care Act 2012) that covers the period of the contract, along with a signed Collaborative Commissioning agreement. Formal agreement will be sought when the contract is awarded.

3)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to approve the revised S.75 agreement that will cover the period of the Community Health Services contract.?

4)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to authorise activities related to the procurement up and until award (when the award decision will return to Cabinet).

Reason for Proposals 

The ICB will be tendering a BSW-Wide Community Services Health contract, to start from 1 April 2025 with a proposed length of 7 plus 2 years. The Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) community health contract re-tender will have cost and service implications for Wiltshire Council Social Care and management of the Better Care Fund (BCF).?? 

? 

The proposal to deliver the WiltshireHomeFirst service under one single provider – Reablement Wiltshire, has impacted the proposed contribution to the ICB Community Health Services Contract as reported to Cabinet on 14 November 2023. If approval is given for bringing the HomeFirst service under ReablementWiltshire, this will remove £2,291,088 of the total WHC funding element of the BCF to the ICB contract. The amount will be £2,291,088 less than reported to Cabinet on14 November 2023. 

? 

The proposals require an ‘in principle’ commitment of a revised amount of £9,235,123 of BCF funding, subject to appropriate S.75 and Collaborative Commissioning agreements.?? 

? 

Cabinet will need to be assured that the procurement process is robust and ensures that Wiltshire’s contribution from the BCF is spent on Wiltshire residents. Cabinet has a responsibility to ensure the Wiltshire pound is spent on Wiltshire residents.? 

Cabinet will also need to be assured, as per the legal advice, that we will in-source HomeFirst without a procurement process. 

Cllr Jane Davies Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, SEND, and Inclusion, introduced the report which sought approval to bring the HomeFirst hospital discharge service in-house, removing it from the ICB Community Health Services Contract, and the associated actions as detailed further in the agenda papers, in principle agreement was sought to commit Better Care Funding, and a further formal decision required when a contract was to be awarded.

Cllr Gordon King, Vice-Chairman of the Health Select Committee, noted a briefing had been received on 14 June 2024 on the report, where he had been assured at the level of oversight and considered the proposal fitting with Wiltshire’s support at home services. The Committee would receive further information in September 2024.

At the conclusion of discussion, and on the motion of Cllr Jane Davies, seconded by Cllr Richard Clewer, it was then,

Resolved:

Cabinet agreed

1)    To approve the proposal to deliver the HomeFirst service under a single provider – Reablement Wiltshire.

2)    To give ‘in principle’ agreement to commit Better Care Funding of £9,235,123 to the ICB Community Health Contract from 2025-2032 (with a potential for a further 2 years to 2034). Formal commitment is dependent on a revised and agreed S.75 Agreement (Health and Social Care Act 2012) that covers the period of the contract, along with a signed Collaborative Commissioning agreement. Formal agreement will be sought when the contract is awarded.

3)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to approve the revised S.75 agreement that will cover the period of the Community Health Services contract.?

4)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to authorise activities related to the procurement up and until award (when the award decision will return to Cabinet).

Reason for Proposals 

The ICB will be tendering a BSW-Wide Community Services Health contract, to start from 1 April 2025 with a proposed length of 7 plus 2 years. The Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) community health contract re-tender will have cost and service implications for Wiltshire Council Social Care and management of the Better Care Fund (BCF).?? 

? 

The proposal to deliver the WiltshireHomeFirst service under one single provider – Reablement Wiltshire, has impacted the proposed contribution to the ICB Community Health Services Contract as reported to Cabinet on 14 November 2023. If approval is given for bringing the HomeFirst service under ReablementWiltshire, this will remove £2,291,088 of the total WHC funding element of the BCF to the ICB contract. The amount will be £2,291,088 less than reported to Cabinet on14 November 2023. 

? 

The proposals require an ‘in principle’ commitment of a revised amount of £9,235,123 of BCF funding, subject to appropriate S.75 and Collaborative Commissioning agreements.?? 

? 

Cabinet will need to be assured that the procurement process is robust and ensures that Wiltshire’s contribution from the BCF is spent on Wiltshire residents. Cabinet has a responsibility to ensure the Wiltshire pound is spent on Wiltshire residents.? 

Cabinet will also need to be assured, as per the legal advice, that we will in-source HomeFirst without a procurement process.