Framework agreement for

community based support and personal care

January 2011

Contents

• Context and market conditions• Framework Agreement – recap and model• The revised procurement approach• Transitions• Timetable • Next steps• Questions & feedback

Context and Market Conditions

• Personalisation v managed markets• Personal Budgets/Direct Payments v historic

commissioning models• Private market (NB many providers have a good mix of

private and DCC commissioned businesses)• In-House focus on reablement – shift of business to

independent sector over time• Large and growing business opportunity• Diversifying market – outcomes, personal plans,

demography, choice, shift to non institutional care, health and social care integration

• Person, not care - group focus• Outcome focus• Other commissioning strategies to come later this year

Framework Agreement

• A vehicle for our relationship – defines providers with whom we will do business and enhances relationships

• Establishes terms and conditions, quality and price (nb can be refreshed periodically)

• Simple call-off/choice for customers and providers• Potential to grow business for successful providers• Allows flexibility of contractual options to respond to need

and market conditions• Encourages different business models• Encourages innovation • Opportunities to compete through mini tender• Reduced transaction costs – simpler procurement once

Agreement is in place• Framework status may offer additional benefits to providers

by attracting business outside of the Agreement

Focus of the Framework

The primary focus for this Agreement is for Community Based Support and Personal Care that supports people to live independently in non-institutional settings who are FACS eligible for adult social care.

3 “Lots”

Community Based

Support

(unregulated)

Community Based Support +

Personal Care

(CQC regulated)

Personal Care

( CQC regulated)

“Reablement” ethos

Connected pathway

Community supports

NB approach within lots may vary

CBS (non CQC regulated)• Enabling eligible people live independently in the

community, (all care groups). May include:– Help with paying bills, accessing leisure and recreational

facilities, maintaining social contacts, self - care, liaison with health & other agencies, help in dealing with maintenance/health & safety issues in the home, helping the individual use public transport, maintaining tenancy, encouraging individual’s self/personal care, but not prompting or supervision to a level that requires CQC registration.

• Outcomes include preventing institutional care, reducing hospital admissions and facilitating hospital discharge.

• Potentially includes “targeted services” i.e. eligible need but not accessed via care management assessment

CBS + Personal Care (Regulated)

• Previous slide plus those people who require help performing personal care tasks in addition

• Enable people to carry out tasks independently rather than ‘doing things for people’.

• Likely to be focussed on those with the more complex needs.

• Outcomes as for CBS (unregulated)• Always accessed via a Care Assessment

Personal care (CQC regulated)• Assistance with personal tasks for those living in

their own homes.• Can include

– prompting or supervision of the person to carry out personal care tasks.

– Assistance with eating, drinking, toileting, washing or bathing, dressing, oral care, care of skin/hair/nails.

• Mostly for Older people and those with physical/sensory disability, with a small proportion of MH & LD clients.

• Outcomes include preventing institutional care, maintaining and extending reablement, supporting hospital discharge.

Excluded servicesA range of services are not covered by the Agreement –

including, for example :• Highly specialist services • Homelessness • Sheltered Housing/Warden Services • Buildings Based Day Opportunities • Social Inclusion and Recovery services • SWAPS or other accommodation-based provision • Meals • Community Alarms, Home Improvement Agency,

Telecare etc • Contracts currently covering advocacy, mentoring

NB ensuring people know how to access these opportunities may be part of requirements of the Agreement

Generic/Specialist

“standard”

Complex/

non standard

specialist OUT

IN

IN

Call off without competition

Mini Competition (individual or volume)

Where specification needs to be supplemented or to test price

Managed through other contracts (small volume)

Indicative Zones

Provider Options/IssuesProviders may apply in a number of forms:

• As a sole trader • As a legal entity (consortium)• As a partnership (i.e. a looser arrangement

governed through Heads of Terms of Agreement)• Encouragement to groups of small providers

• Where there is an arrangement other than a sole provider the Council will conduct business through a Lead Provider on behalf of the partners

Provider relationships The role of lead provider:• Submits the ITT• Should not imply dominance • Lead point of contact for call off within a

‘Partnerships of equals’ • Ensures the partners have the capacity to deliver

business on a sufficient scale and at the quality that will meet the requirements of the Agreement.

NB – costs of being a Lead Provider to be included in the price

Small & Micro-providers• DCC procurement policy supports SMEs

• We are keen to hear from groups of small providers who may wish to work together to deliver scale

• DCC will make the process as proportionate and simple as possible to reduce costs

• Small/micro providers may sub contract with those who succeed at ITT after award if they wish

• Direct Payments also offer a major opportunity

NB Further meetings scheduled being arranged in next 2-3 weeks with micro providers (NAAPS/Community Catalysts) and VCS and specialist providers

Procurement process• Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire (end Feb)

• Specification and FAQ• All providers who may wish to be part of the Framework

Agreement apply (NB need to register with ProContract website)• No need to have settled partnerships at this stage• Simple submission, indicating interest (zone, “lot”, Lead

Provider), answering 2 scored questions re quality• Market Information Session – 2 weeks after PQQ launch• PQQ Evaluation (April)

• Approve providers who may progress to ITT• Where providers agree, DCC will publish lists (by zone and lot)

of those who meet the criteria at this stage and of those who wish to be a Lead Provider (ref provider request)

• Invitation To Tender (ITT) launch (April - June) – quality and price• Evaluation – July• Award – August• Go Live - September.

NB Timescales will be finalised shortly

Choice

• Standard package, DCC as purchaser - business goes to “top ranked” provider (which will likely vary by zone/lot);

• DCC examining ways in which it can enable as much choice as possible, where this is meaningful, for people who do not want a Direct Payment but want more control

• Direct Payments – full choice of provider from Framework or other provider

• Approach may vary by “lot”

Other issues

• Providers will be expected to supply the required service unless there is a good reason why this is not possible

• In such a case the purchaser will go to the next ranked provider

• Providers may sub contract with any provider subsequent to award of contract (subject to quality) but that sub contractor can not join the framework in their own right until re-tendered

• Urban/Rural Price – we will expect tenders to price realistically for both. Details of expected balance of business between urban and rural will be supplied

• We will look at ways to develop the commissioner/provider relationship further to support personal planning.

TransitionsA number of points are important to stress:• Where a Framework provider has historic business it will usually

remain outside of the Framework but we will negotiate price alignment

• We reserve the right to tender historic business supplied by a provider who has secured a place on the framework where there is a business case to do so, particularly in relation to generating additional efficiencies (e.g where there are currently multiple suppliers for one individual) .  

• Where a current provider is not successful in joining the framework or chooses not to participate we will reserve the right to tender that business into the framework (acknowledging that under such circumstances TUPE might apply )

• We will manage transitions business by business with care• All current providers and customers should be reassured that

we do not wish to disrupt successful, efficient and effective arrangements

• We will not be having a “Big Bang” approach with massive change on Day 1 – we will take time to get it right

Questions/ feedback

Website address:

www.devon.gov.uk/providerengagement